PARIS – Oxford County commissioners have recommended nearly $43,000 in cuts for the 2009 budget, mostly in five areas.

Commissioners are requesting reductions in requests made by the Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, the Regional Communications Center, commissioners’ and the county airport in Oxford.

The changes would result in a total net decrease of $42,900 in the county spending plan and cut the increase from last year’s budget to 9.83 percent.

County departments have requested a total of $5,241,973, with an additional $1,228,757 cap to be raised toward the jail. Projected revenues total $1,856,788, with a total budget increase of 10.86 percent over 2008.

The largest decrease requested is in the Sheriff’s Office budget, where commissioners and the department jointly agreed to reduce an $88,000 capital expenditure by $22,000 by purchasing three cruisers in 2009 instead of four.

Commissioners also requested a $5,000 reduction in expenditures for the Oxford County Regional Airport in Oxford and are projecting a $3,200 increase in revenue through the Local Emergency Planning Committee.

Commissioners also requested a reduction of $3,000 for the District Attorney’s Office by eliminating a copier purchase and reducing professional fees; a $1,641 reduction for the commissioners by opting out of membership in the National Association of Counties for the year and eliminating a printer purchase; and a $6,288 reduction in personal services for the Regional Communications Center in Paris.

The budget will go to the budget committee for review before it is finalized by commissioners in December.