Douglas County commissioners should cut a dozen jobs, delay a major construction project and close a treasurer’s office in Baldwin to help fill this year’s estimated $1.7 million budget gap, the county’s top administrator said Thursday.

And that’s only to get through this year.

“It won’t get you all the way out of the hole,” said Craig Weinaug, county administrator. “About half of the cuts are one-time cuts. And that money still needs to be spent.”

Looking ahead, Weinaug could see recommending a boost in the county’s tax rate next year by 3 mills, a jump of about 11 percent, to restore the money to be cut this year and meet needs expected to surface as state budget-cutting continues.

The property-tax increase would add about $2.1 million to the county’s coffers in 2004. The owner of a $150,000 home would pay an additional $51.75 to cover the county’s portion of the property-tax bill.

While such a taxing decision remains at least a few months away — as commissioners wrestle with allocations for their upcoming 2004 budget — commissioners will gather Monday to start balancing the books on the current year, which are slated to fall short by $1.7 million because of a loss of state revenue.

Among the moves recommended by Weinaug, and forwarded to commissioners with “a consensus of almost all” leaders of county departments and agencies:

l Spend $250,000 of county reserve funds to reduce the needs for deeper cuts.

l Eliminate 12 county jobs, including two in the appraiser’s office, one in the zoning and codes office, one in the treasurer’s office and a microfilm clerk in administrative services. Cuts would be accomplished through layoffs and attrition. Seven of the positions — three Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical personnel, three emergency dispatchers and one city-county planner — never had been filled, and were to be jointly financed with the city of Lawrence, which also intends to cut financing.

l Postpone construction of a $560,000 building for maintenance and records storage at the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds, 2110 Harper.

l Eliminate or consolidate the county treasurer’s satellite office in Baldwin. Weinaug would like to work out an agreement with the city of Baldwin to have city personnel accept tax payments and register vehicles at city hall, but county Treasurer Pat Wells opposes the plan for at least one simple reason.

“It’s not permitted by law,” she said.

Weinaug recommends saving nearly $18,000 this year by moving the services into Baldwin’s city hall, but that would require legislators to pass a new law this session. And Weinaug doubts that could happen without Wells’ support.

Without the consolidation, the office would close, its clerk moved back into the main office and Baldwin residents would be left to find other outlets for treasurer’s services. And the county would save the estimated $10,000 it would cost to subcontract with the city of Baldwin.

Commissioner Bob Johnson said it was a simple choice: “We have to reduce our costs. If we have an option to make our services more efficient, we need to do it. If we don’t have that option, we simply have to cut costs.”

Budget hearings are scheduled to begin after the commission’s regular meeting, which begins at 8:30 a.m. Monday at the courthouse, 1100 Mass.