More budget blues for Bicknell

VICKNELL, IND. (WTHI) - A southern Indiana city beset with budget issues looks for some more ways to get back in the black.

The Knox County community of Bicknell has been battling with its budget for more than a year.

After making deep cuts the city is now looking at trying to find a way to increase its revenues.

Bicknell's City Hall is having tough times these days.

The city has spent a year trying to recover from a big drop in tax revenue.

Last month they borrowed $100,000 from the city's utilities to try and bridge the budget gap until the June tax draw.

All of that comes after the city drastically cut every department.

"We went as far as laying off people," said Bicknell Mayor Jon Flickinger.  "We cut back on this year's budget.  We cut back to the bone.  Each department head is working real good with everybody, myself, the clerk-treasurer and the council to keep things as a bare minimum."

City officials say their austerity measures have helped their budget situation, but they have not solved it.

Now, the mayor says he intends to ask the city council for some new revenue.

"We're going to have to come up with an idea to get us by," said Flickinger.  "I'm working up some plans now to present to the council to bring money into the city."

The mayor believes that with a little extra cash to go along with the budget cuts the city money troubles could be on the way toward a solution.

"I think in June..we..we won't be out of the red but we'll be out of the water moving on shore anyway," he said.

Something that would be a positive in a community that has been struggling to stay afloat.

The mayor is expected to lay out his proposal to the city council at its meeting next Monday evening.