After ending 2017 more than $1.6 million in the black, Butler County commissioners say a raise is possible for employees.
The county will hold a hearing at 9:30 a.m. Monday at the courthouse on a proposed 2018 budget.
It includes a 2 percent raise across the board for union members of the county's highway department.
Commissioners would also give each office holder 2 percent of the office's annual payroll budget to distribute among staff as the official chooses.
Elected officials voted not to receive a raise, said presiding commissioner Vince Lampe.
"Everyone has been working hard the last two to three years to stay within budget and save money," said Lampe. "We've made some steps in the right direction."
A proposed 2018 budget includes approximately $23.3 million in expenses.
This includes money for a long awaited railroad overpass project at Poplar Bluff Industrial Park.
The project is approximately $500,000 short of the nearly $4 million needed for construction.
The county has worked with Union Pacific to resolve the funding shortage and is close to finalizing a solution, said Lampe.
No decisions have been made concerning the fate of the Rodgers Theatre in the 2018 budget, Lampe said.
Commissioners relocated other county offices which had been housed in the 200 block of Broadway and has said they would like to transfer ownership of the theatre.
Rodgers Theatre Inc., has expressed concerns about their ability to get property liability insurance for the building if it is not under the county's ownership.
"My concern is the state of the building and safety," said Lampe. "I do not want to have the liability on the county."
The 2018 budget estimates approximately $20 million in revenues.
The county does not expect to see a significant drop in its cash reserve, said county clerk Tonyi Deffendall.
Expenses have been overestimated and revenues underestimated, she said.
This is similar to the way the 2017 budget was constructed, Deffendall said, and the county saw an increase in cash reserve (see sidebar).