MOUNT VERNON — The elected officials of Knox County are continuing to explore ways to provide necessary services while getting the most out of the available resources.
In a meeting Thursday morning, Knox County Recorder John Lybarger, Knox County Treasurer Sandra Mizer, Knox County Auditor Jonette Curry, Knox County Prosecutor John Thatcher, Knox Clerk of Courts Mary Jo Hawkins and county commissioners Roger Reed and Teresa Bemiller discussed options to reduce costs while maintaining or improving efficiency.
Although the officials already work to be frugal, there is a new urgency to their quest. Curry said with the new state budget, the county will start losing state local government funds, due in part to the elimination of the tangible personal property [inventory] tax and utility deregulation. She said that amounts to a loss of $900,000 over the next two years.
The city of Mount Vernon, townships and villages will also lose local government funds.
Bemiller said the county “will obviously be looking at everything with regard to the budget and cost saving.”
