Douglas County government is holding off on filling employee vacancies, and new hires planned for 2008 might be delayed.

Combined revenues from sales and mortgage taxes are down from projections made earlier this year by about $500,000, County Administrator Craig Weinaug told county commissioners Monday.

A comprehensive review of expenditures and revenues is under way, Weinaug said.

“What happens is I tend to get the bad news before the good news,” he said. “I kind of want to see if maybe the good news items offset the bad news items.”

Weinaug said he knew of only one unfilled position that exists now. That position is in the Register of Deeds office. The workload for that position is seasonal and not filling it isn’t reducing services, he said.

Earlier this year, the city of Lawrence cut its 2007 budget because sales tax revenue was lower than projected. Weinaug noted the county was more conservative than the city in estimating sales tax revenue. Nevertheless, the county faces similar issues.

During preparations for the 2008 county budget, Weinaug conservatively estimated sales tax revenue would not show an increase this year. In finalizing the budget, commissioners opted for estimating 0.5 of 1 percent increase.

“Even though we were more conservative, if things continue the way they are now, we’re going to have to be in a mode of making the kinds of decisions that are more difficult to make,” Weinaug said.

If the county needs to make budget adjustments next year, filling old positions shouldn’t carry any more weight than deciding whether to hire for a new position, Commissioner Charles Jones said. “They should all be put in the same basket,” he said. Commissioners Bob Johnson and Jere McElhaney agreed.

Some revenues in 2007 showed an increase. Here are the special county funds and how much they have increased:

¢ Ambulance, $210,699, because of an increase in ambulance fees. Funds will be transferred to ambulance equipment reserve.

¢ Grants, $160,200.

¢ Emergency cell phone, $37,000, because of an increase in emergency cell phone tax. Funds will be put in reserve for equipment.

¢ Special auto fee, $72,834. It will be transferred to equipment reserve.

¢ Special law enforcement trust, which is the drug tax, $45,000.

¢ Youth services, $148,052, because of increase in state reimbursements. Will be transferred to equipment reserve.