I’m back from Ohio and didn’t have a chance to do my normal roundup from the Lee County Board of Commissioners meeting Monday. My two stories in Tuesday’s paper talked about a potential new homeless shelter for Bread of Life Ministries and possible tax rate increases for some fire districts.

Several people spoke out during a public hearing at the meeting about the proposed 2009-10 fiscal year budget, which would shave 10 percent from this year’s budget.

Comments included:

• Mike Gaster and David Dycus from the Lee Soil and Water board spoke out about the possible loss of one job from the two-person department. The eliminated position would be a secretarial job and some of those duties would be shifted to a secretary at the extension office. “It would be very crippling in the budget that one of those two positions would be eliminated,” Gaster said.
• Russ Noel commented that the current budget at 122 pages is too long for the average citizen to read and comprehend. He said he would prefer if commissioners also issued a shorter statement that was structured like a balance sheet.
• Susan Laudate, chairwoman of the Lee County Library board, expressed concern about proposed cuts because they might mean the library loses even more money from the state through its maintenance and effort funds. She said tough economic times mean more people than ever are using the libraries. “We’re just bursting at the seams,” she said.
• Kay Ring, executive director of HAVEN in Lee County, said the state might slash 15 to 18 percent of funds next year. Lee County’s budget calls for a 4 percent cut. HAVEN works with victims of abuse and domestic violence.