There was no discussion among the board and no remarks from the public last Thursday when the Dawson County commission voted 4-0 to keep the current millage rate for 2011.

Extending the current rate means county land owners will not see a property tax increase in the upcoming year.

While county officials have said they expect to see some difficult months ahead, they said they would rather have it that way than to raise taxes.

Each county department was asked to cut their 2011 budgets by about 2 percent in an effort to compensate for revenue loss.

Sheriff Billy Carlisle, whose department has the largest number of employees and supervises around 165 inmates at the detention center, considers the request a look “at reality.

“We’ve got to get with reality, because with the downturn in the economy, people are suffering,” he said. “We know that we have to suffer a little bit, but we also know we have a job to do.”

Carlisle said the economic downturn means his department will not get everything on his ‘want list’ this year. 

“But we’re getting what we need,” he said.

Carlisle plans to lease five new patrol cars, if the budget he’s discussed with commissioners is approved next month.

Mike Berg, commission chair, is scheduled to present the county’s budget for 2011 during the board’s work session Aug. 12. Three public hearings are required before the budget can be adopted.

“Five new cars is better than no new cars,” said Carlisle.

The Dawson County School Board voted unanimously July 6 to keep its portion of the millage rate at 13.646, the same rate its been for the last nine years.

With the county’s portion of 8.138 and a bonded amount, the county’s millage rate is 22.184, the same rate it has been for the last six years.