By Jim Reece - The Amador County Board of Supervisors approved a $72.2 Million county budget with $5 Million in cuts Tuesday, with reduced spending in every department. Chief Administrative Officer Terri Daly said cuts came with the help of department heads, while the major lowering of the budget was a halt on Capital Improvement contributions toward the purchase of the Jail property, and also halted a victim witness relocation program, saving 200,000 dollars. Daly said the museum roof repair is still in the budget, but “Anything that wasn’t already committed was taken out.” Last Thursday, after her talk with the unions, she said personnel increases, promised in MOUs in labor contracts, such as Cost Of Living Adjustments and uniform allowances, had given too much to personnel. The final budget, she said, usually has minor changes. “This year, it’s really different. We have major changes,” Daly said. Instead, she offered county unions a 7-day, non-paid furlough, to make the budget. This came with 28 applications for early retirement. She said the county could make macro adjustments to the budget, and also carry out reorganization – finding out how to work more efficiently without hiring – doing so with structural changes. “We can’t let personnel costs skyrocket year after year after year,” Daly said. “I don’t anticipate that we’ll be back in good budget days for many years.” She said next year could be worse. Cuts included 3.28 Million dollars from the general fund; 1.07 Million dollars from county Improvement; 352,000 dollars from Health; 266,000 dollars from Social Services; and 150,000 each from Behavioral Health and Water Development. Daly said in March 2007, the county has had 10 positions that were, in effect, a “rotating hiring freeze.” Now with personnel costs, Daly requested the board to have a “hard hiring freeze” with no hiring and no promotions. With the only changes recommended as transfers from one department to another. “I do want to warn you that there is no slack in this budget,” Daly said. “If we experience any hiccups, it’s going to be in layoffs.” She said a wildfire or any kind of catastrophic event will mean layoffs. She also recommended that the administrative committee oversee every purchase over $500. “I am just talking about scrutinizing every purchase that we make so that we responsibly spend taxpayers’ money.”