RINGGOLD, Ga. — Catoosa County commissioners on Tuesday approved a $34 million budget for the 2008-09 fiscal year that was balanced in part by tapping the contingency fund for $349,186 to help make up an $800,000 revenue shortfall.

Commission Chairman Bill Clark was the lone “no” vote on the five-member panel.

“There is a limit to how long the county can live off its contingency funds,” he said. “When they run out, the cry is going to be, ‘Well, we have no choice but to raise taxes.’ That’s exactly what I’m trying to head off right now.”

Commissioner Jim Emberson made the motion to approve the budget after he was assured that no employees were fired in the reductions made by the sheriff’s department, which cut its budget request by $208,713.

“We are pretty well cut to the bone right now,” he said. “There was a time when we had redundant personnel, but I don’t believe that to be the case right now. After having been assured there won’t be any reductions in our personnel because we are already stretched, I made the motion to approve this budget.”

Sheriff Phil Summers assured commissioners that the cuts were in overtime and equipment.

“No personnel changes in the sheriff’s office, the jail, in 911 or in traffic enforcement,” he said.

Finance director Carl Henson said the contingency fund, which was budgeted at $400,000, is used by the commissioners as a hedge fund for expense overruns. The county also has a reserve fund of $7.5 million, he said.

Commissioner Ken Marks said the contingency funds were for “a rainy day,” and Catoosa County is having that “rainy day.”

“I don’t think we should cut services and employees; that’s a panic mode,” he said. “People are struggling. But I think after the presidential election and VW coming, things will get better.”

Volkswagen recently announced it will build a manufacturing plant at Chattanooga’s Enterprise South industrial park.

The original budget proposal estimated expenditures at $34,898,429, and commissioners approved a budget of $34,098,146. In addition to the sheriff’s department, cuts were made in recreation, the commissioners’ office, clerk of courts, district attorney, juvenile court and the public defenders’ office.

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