Most people trying to balance a budget right now are probably barely hanging on. That's the case for Hall County.  Board Supervisors are $360,000 short of what they expected to have for their upcoming budget.

Supervisors meet for the next month to hash out the budget, and they started Monday. 
Up first for discussion is outside entities, like rural fire departments and the Stuhr Museum.

While the City of Grand Island looks to cut their outside agencies, like the Crisis Center, one county supervisor doesn't even want to consider cutting theirs.   

While inmates sit in the Hall County jail, supervisors sit scratching their heads. The state won't reimburse them $250,000 for jail costs or give them the $110,000 for roads they were expecting.

"Our budget's always been tight anyway, so these additional losses of revenue are very, very
difficult for Hall County," Board Chairwoman Pam Lancaster said.

Difficult because their past way of balancing budgets has been through the inheritance tax. 

"We're concerned that will go away. The state legislature keeps trying to take it away," she said, adding it's a problem for all counties.

Lancaster and supervisors face tough budget decisions, starting with outside entities, like the Hall County Agriculture Society, the Central Regional Airport, and rural fire departments in Cairo, Doniphan, Wood River, Shelton and Grand Island. They were told not to ask for additional money this year. Lancaster said it will be hard enough not to make cuts.

"I would venture to say people would be very distressed and they should be," she said.

Whether it's safety, like rural fire departments...

"They are volunteers, they don't even have personal costs. They just need training and equipment."

Or the airport. A year ago, not even in service, now hoping for another air service. They're waiting for county money for more improvements. 
 

"We'd like to do some capital investments in our industrial park. We're not just thinking
about next year, but the year after that, and the year after that," executive director Mike Olson said.

The airport and museum bring in customers to benefit the local economy. Even
with that and safety addressed, Lancaster said the other option is cruel in this economy. 

"We really hesitate to raise taxes on our people," she said.

Lancaster said nothing is even close to being decided yet. Hall County must have their budget ready by September 1st. The projected budget shortfall is for the next two years.