BELLE FOURCHE - The Belle Fourche City Council finished budget work sessions this week to cut 10 percent - about $350,000 - from city department requests.
The bottom line is a 2008 $3.8 million general fund budget.
That's still up about 7.5 percent from last year.
The big cut came as the council decided against operating its own dog pound and animal-control operation under the Police Department.
Another cut may result in new laptop computers for the mayor and council members.
A look at the city offices' paper budget - that includes reams of materials for council members - brought the suggestion to cut the paper costs in half and get laptops instead.
"It's time we joined the 21st century," council member David Pummel said.
Local animal-control issues over the past year have included having a place to put stray dogs after officers pick them up and safety for the officers.
A dog pound contract with a local veterinary office was dropped last winter because there was not enough room in kennels there for newly captured strays.
Police have been driving the captured animals to the pound in Sturgis.
Police Chief Keith Schultz requested $117,000 for an animal-control officer and to staff a dog pound.
After comments that "Belle Fourche can't afford to go into the dog business," the council decided to keep using the Sturgis facilities for now and to negotiate with the new Center of the Nation Humane Society on a possible pound operation operated by the society.
Butte County Dispatch Center costs increased almost 25 percent and brought significant discussion at council work sessions Monday and Wednesday.
The council agreed to cover the increase, up to $165,000, because there was no immediate option.
Council members said Butte County Dispatch offers outstanding service, but there is no way the Northern Hills area can afford to continue covering increasing costs at up-to-date centers in Butte, Lawrence and Meade counties and Spearfish.
Another objection was the city has no input into dispatch spending, even though it is asked to cover 50 percent of the center's costs plus county-tax levies paid by city landowners.
Sheriff Fred Lamphere said the increased dispatch costs are due to personnel and increases in health insurance.
