Linn County Departments Feeling Pain at the Pump

Our budgets aren’t the only ones feeling the squeeze of higher gas prices.

According to the Gazette, Linn County Conservation Director Dan Biechler told Linn County supervisors in a recent work session that his department’s gas budget has already been spent, even though there are another four months left in the fiscal year, which ends June 30.

He said that he assumed when he wrote the budget gas would stay at a rate of $2.25 per gallon, which is lower than what we pay because government departments don't pay gasoline tax, but he said the prices have risen past $3 for most of the year.

Biechler said he went $5,500 over his $96,000 budget and expects to spend an additional $43,000 on fuel before the end of June.

And his department wasn't the only one hurt by high gas prices.

Tom Hardecopf, director of the Linn County bus service LIFTS, said he is going to need an additional $12,000 in fuel.

The Linn County Supervisors responded by requesting a survey of heads of various departments to determine their fuel costs through the end of the fiscal year.