The DeWitt County Board approved a motion for a special meeting regarding the county budget at their most recent meeting.

The County Board budget recently came under fire after Board Chair Sherrie Brown proposed 5% cuts across the entire county building. Board Member Camille Redman proposed an educational meeting on the budgeting process with Administrative Assistant Dee Dee Rentmeister, who has 25 years of experience dealing with the County Budget.

[audio:9514budget1.mp3] [/audio]

Board Member Terry Hoffman didn't think the procedure or the meeting with Rentmeister was necessary. He questioned why the Board would have a meeting when their budget was nearly double of the amount the county spends.

[audio:9514budget2.mp3] [/audio]

Redman question Hoffman regarding a finance meeting he sat through when he was running for County Board. She claims Hoffman got up and left when the topic turned to the budget but Hoffman says it didn't matter since he wasn't on the Board.

[audio:9514budget3.mp3] [/audio]

Brown took issue with the special meeting and the fact the current Board went through the Budget process last year but Board Member Danny Ballenger argues Brown presented the Board with a last minute budget in November.

[audio:9514budget4.mp3] [/audio]

The motion passed 7-3 with Brown, Hoffman and George Wismiller voting no. Board Member Keith Koons was absent at the August 21st meeting.