Trumbull County considers budget requests for 2013 - 21 News Now, More Local News for Youngstown, Ohio -

WARREN, Ohio - It's the season of spending and it's also the time local governments focus on their bottom line.

Requests are in from county departments with some holding out hands for some extra green in the New Year, but funding cuts and increased costs could stand in the way.

With about $43 million to work with in the general fund budget for 2013, Trumbull County Auditor Adrian Biviano says the overall requests total $48 million, $6 million over budget.

"So there will be adjustments to their request. Now their current budget is $42 million, so roughly they're going to have the same money to operate on as they did in 2012 in 2013," Biviano said.

At the same time, cuts in state spending are coupled with an increase for insurance premiums for county workers by an estimated 15 percent eating more into the county's budget.

"The county is in a very bad position from the standpoint the state has cut all of our local government funds. They've cut us in half and roughly that's about $3 million dollars," Biviano said.

While some departments may not get the increases they were hoping for, Trumbull County Sheriff Thomas Altiere says costs for gas to fuel deputy vehicles and food for inmates in the county jail are going up and he needs more to work with.

Altiere is requesting $11.4 million for 2013 to keep up with growing expenses, more than the $10.5 million his department spent in 2012.

The county budget is expected to be complete by late February.