County Council took the first of three readings to alter the county’s budget with cuts of $663,000.

Although some areas of operations brought in more than the council expected, by $539,522, other areas fell in expectations by about $1.07 million.

To reduce the budget, the county is making numerous changes. One is a decrease in patrol cars for the Sheriff’s Office from 11 to eight for a savings of $67,500. The county is decreasing the public works staff by one person at a savings of $34,627. Capital repairs are being reduced by $101,747. Some 27 other line-item matters took cuts of less than $10,000 to make up the total of $662,867.

Two county construction projects are coming in at lower price tags than expected. The new library was $260,000 less than anticipated when the budget was finalized in July. Plus, the county is expected to save $138,747 at the Mid-Carolina Commerce Park due to lower than anticipated bids on phase one of the site work.

Areas of flagging operating revenue:

• a decrease in property taxes of $331,292, state money of $145,812 and interest income around $115,000, a decrease in magistrate court fees of $93,250 among other smaller reductions.

The county’s fleet service expense is exceeding its budgeted amount by $35,600, corrections retirement by $77,500 and fire control cost sharing by $16,000.

Areas of increased operating revenue:

• increases of $118,000 from delinquent tax costs, $250,000 from delinquent tax real estate, fee-in-lieu-of tax increases of $120,000, surplus property sales of $20,000 and increases in animal control revenues of $20,000.