Carbon County officials say that they will be keeping an eye on excess spending.

Last week, the board approved four transfers from the contingency fund totaling $18,700. Those transfers included replacing failing computers in the sheriff's department and courts, health care claim reimbursement in the archives department and consultant services in the 911 Communications Center.Commissioner William O'Gurek said the transfers for these items are necessary, but the commissioners would be looking at all future requests to make sure they are absolutely necessary before approving them."We are asking our department heads to live within their means," Commissioner Thomas J. Gerhard said. "It's nice to have a wish list, but we all have to pull in on the reins. We adopt a budget and we try to live by that budget."Commissioners' Chairman Wayne Nothstein said that sometimes requests out of the contingency fund, which is for unanticipated expenses that were not budgeted in the spending plan, are simply because a computer is a few years old and a little slower than it had been."We're taking a closer look at the reasons for all transfers," he said, noting that computers that are only four years old but operational will not be approved to be replaced even if a request is made. "If they are operable, we're going to stretch it out as long as we can."The board said it will ask all department heads to tighten their requests as the county heads into the second half of its fiscal year.In a related matter, the commissioners said the lack of a state budget, if not passed by the end of summer, may start putting a strain on county agencies' budgets going into the end of the year. The gap to keep cash flowing and agencies operating would then fall back on the county to help cover costs.Robert Crampsie, county controller, said at the beginning of the calendar year, the county budgets a set amount for each department's operational costs. This also includes any funding that the departments would receive from the state.The lack of a budget in the new fiscal year now means that these departments will be using the money the county budgeted for the whole year, without the state funding.Crampsie said without a budget, the cash flow of the agencies may be affected, meaning that the responsibility would fall back on the county to close the gap temporarily."We're hoping it won't get to that point," he said. "Fortunately, we're financially in good shape though. There are some counties out there that don't have the money to loan the outside funds, and then if they have to borrow the money then there is an additional expense where they have to pay interest."Ron Sheehan, county treasurer, said this isn't the first time the state has put counties in this position.He clarified that if loans are required, they would come out of the general fund until a state budget is passed and money from the state comes in. The agencies would then repay the general fund.