VIENNA — Maries County officials are grappling with how to sustain operations amid shrinking revenue, rising costs, and statutory pay adjustments that have placed new strain on an already tight county budget.

At last week’s salary commission meeting held on Oct. 30, county leaders, including Prosecuting Attorney Tony Skouby, County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers, and all elected officials, with the exception of Morgan who was at a non-mandatory training event, confronted the reality that Maries County’s general revenue account is running in the red, while employees continue to work without raises for a second consecutive year.

Rodgers said the county’s general revenue fund is already operating at a deficit.

“If we sign the checks that are waiting to be signed, we’re in the negative today,” Rodgers said. “That doesn’t change the fact that our employees’ cost of living has risen, and they’re going to expect a cost-of-living allowance at some point. But I don’t know where it’s going to come from.”

Skouby, who chaired the meeting, turned the discussion toward the county’s limited tax base and the upcoming 911 sales tax proposal on the November ballot. The proposed one-percent sales tax would fund the county’s emergency dispatch services, which are currently supported by general revenue, freeing an estimated $320,000 annually for other operations.

Officials emphasized that even if the measure passes, relief won’t come immediately.

“Next year will still be rough,” said Presiding Commissioner Vic Stratman.. “It’ll take time for that money to accumulate and go into the account.”

Without the additional revenue, both the sheriff’s office and the county general fund could face shortfalls severe enough to disrupt services.

“We all need to pray that this passes,” Skouby said. “The sheriff’s department can’t afford to support it anymore, and neither can the county.”

Several officials voiced concern about employee morale and public misunderstanding of county finances. Rodgers noted that while property assessments increased this year, most of the additional tax revenue does not stay in county coffers.

“People see their property tax bill and think all of that money stays here,” she said. “But only about six to 14 percent goes to the county. The rest goes to schools, roads and special districts.”

As the meeting concluded, Skouby closed with a candid acknowledgment of the county’s financial strain and a call for empathy from department heads.

“This meeting is hereby adjourned. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for your time, attention and your patience. I know this was not the most pleasant meeting, but we are where we are,” Skouby said. “Hopefully our employees will understand, it’s like I said, there’s not a cost of living allowance that we could give them to even come close to making up for what things cost now as opposed to what they did two years ago. But as department heads, be compassionate, because they need more money. We just don’t have it. Be compassionate in your day-to-day decisions. Let them know that we respect them, we need them, and we don’t want to see any of them go.”