The Richmond County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to share the two percent cut in pay budgeted for other employees of the county before adopting the proposed 2009-10 budget Tuesday.

In addition to the cut in pay, workers will also take an unpaid furlough to help the county balance the books.

However, Richmond County’s current tax rate of 81 cents remains unchanged in the budget.

“I think overall, our county employees are satisfied with the way we’ve handled it,” Chairman Kenneth Robinette said. “We’ve been consistent across the board.”

“I think everybody feels like they’re being treated the same — that’s the key,” Commissioner Thad Ussery commented.

Commissioners also posed questions to County Manager Jim Haynes concerning the state budget’s funding for programs that currently operate in the county.

He replied the Criminal Justice Partnership is emerging as a candidate to be cut out completely.

“If a program goes, a program goes,” Haynes said. “I don’t see you taking on these programs.”

He said other areas that may be cut deeply in the state’s budget include road maintenance and child support enforcement. He added the county may end up having to take over the operation of the child support program beginning in 2010.

A public hearing preceded the vote on the budget, and two representatives of the Sandhills Center for Children made a case for more funding.

“Our position, speaking as an individual board member rather than the board, is that yall do a wonderful service here ...” Robinette said. “But we’re also waiting for our state budget, and will face some cuts in funding. We’re all just tightening our belt.”

The board also approved budget year-end budget amendments for county departments.

In other business:

n The commissioners chose to table a change order for work on the new judicial center in Rockingham. The order was presented to the board by County Director of Community Services B.K. Jones.

All told, it would cost the county $15,860 in project contingency money if approved, with the major expense coming from metal flashings on the roof, a larger steel beam on the first floor and gutter supports.

These three expenses were lumped into one line item, and would cost $23,947.

Nearly $20,000 would be eliminated from the project by adding corner guards to the queuing area and removing level five gypsum finish from portions of drywall in the change order.

Jones told the board that during discussions with the architect, the change in work on the roof was due to the change in plans from a flat roof to a pitched roof after the project design was already compiled. Ware Bonsall Architects of Charlotte are handling the project.

“At some point, I think they should be held responsible for their design,” Ussery said at one point during discussion. “We paid for that design. I understand that whether you have a flat roof or a pitched roof, you’ve got to have flashing.”

in another line item on the work order, the architect assumed responsibility for a flaw in design, Jones said. The item was concerning nearly $2,000 to enlarge a bathroom and add wall material around columns.

“He’s agreed to reimburse you for that expense,” Jones said.

The board reached consensus to table the matter until its next meeting.

n The board met in closed session to discuss a personnel matter for less than a half an hour, and took no action when it resumed open session.

n Commissioner Peggy Covington was appointed the voting delegate for Richmond County at the National Association of Counties Annual Conference and Exposition in Nashville. The event takes place from July 24 through 28.