Whitmire Mayor Tim Carroll predicts a quick final passing for the town’s budget after council approved the first reading Monday night, because little will change, he says.

“It’s probably going to stay the same,” Carroll says. “I don’t see any more money coming in.”

The town’s revenue flow slowed to trickle when its biggest employer, the sock-making Renfro Corporation shut down local operations in January.

Renfro was 40 percent of Whitmire’s water business, says Carroll.

The council signed off on plans to spend and receive $578,350 in the town’s general fund budget this fiscal year which starts July 1.

Last year, the town’s operating budget was $648,063.

Whitmire’s other money plan, known as the town’s commission of public works budget, is also thinner at $663,500 this year compared to last year’s $978,056.

The town shaved spending when it could, even prompting council members to save landscaping fees by planting flowers themselves in Main Street planters.

Whitmire also cut four town positions, and slowed its water and sewer plant operation to half capacity.

But still there were shortfalls, so the plan includes shifting nearly $40,000 from the town’s savings to balance the budget.

“We just couldn’t find anywhere else to cut,” said Carroll.