WOODVILLE — Concerns of overspending have Wilkinson County officials urging employees to keep a closer eye on spending.

Chancery Clerk Thomas C. Tolliver Jr. said some county departments have spent ahead of what was predicted to be spent at this point in the fiscal year.

Tolliver warned the county board of supervisors at its Monday meeting that if department heads and road districts did not slow spending, the county could run out of money before the fiscal year ends.

The county’s fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.

When the county’s assessed valuation went down this year, it resulted in less revenue from property taxes. Assessed valuation determines the value of a residence for tax purposes.

The county’s budget dropped nearly $400,000 from $6.9 million to $6.5 million.

To avoid raising taxes, all departments were forced to make cuts, but the county’s five road districts took the biggest hit, County Administrator Bruce Lewis said.

The road districts’ budgets were cut from $225,000 to $180,000.

After already borrowing a $700,000 tax-anticipation loan that must be paid back by April 1, Tolliver said departments must follow the county’s directive to not make any unnecessary purchases.

“We expect we’re going to get (revenues) we’ve budgeted to get, but it’s too soon to be that far low on cash,” he said.

Board of Supervisors Presidents Bill Bankston said departments are purchasing supplies they need to operate, but must keep a watchful eye on spending.

“Nobody is that far out of their budget, and next month spending may go down,” he said. “It may not be a problem … but I’m just trying to nip it in the bud before it becomes a problem.”

Expenditures outside the county’s normal operations have also put a hardship on the county, Lewis said.

The county recently spent $42,000 to repair the non-functioning heating system at the courthouse.

“We budgeted for that, so we expected it, but it still took $42,000 out of the budget to pay for it,” he said.

County officials are optimistic Tuscaloosa Marine Shale oil drilling could provide the county with a new source of revenue this year.

“But we’re not spending money on that optimism,” Lewis said.

Borrowing money to make it through the end of the fiscal year may be unavoidable, Tolliver said.

“We may have a problem and we may not, but we have to act like we have one,” he said.

Bankston said it is too early to know if Wilkinson County will need a loan for operations later in the fiscal year.

“We’re just going to have to watch out,” he said.