County Manager Tony Brown noted in a worksheet on the new option that it is based on the use of anticipated end-of-year revenues for the remainder of the fiscal year as the county reached its anticipated levy at the end of March.

By using these anticipated revenues of $620,700.62 the county will have a balanced budget that does not require a tax increase and leaves the fund balance at just above the acceptable level of 8 percent.

The new option will fund $208,058 in un-financed requirements; $150,500 in additional outside requests; additional county capital of $371,652 and additional school current expense of $45,815.

It will not, however, fund additional school capital of 1,131,669. It leaves $194,675 available to use elsewhere or place in the fund balance.

“We're going to have to study and talk when people say take it out of fund balance,” board Chair James Pierce said during the meeting.

During a break in the meeting Pierce said while this option, which by informal polling commissioners favored, will prevent a tax increase, he said eventually the county is going to have to strongly consider one when budget negotiations for the 2015-2016 fiscal begin. “The cost of living keeps going up and we're using up our fund balance.