The Logan County Board is closer to finalizing its $6 million, fiscal year 2009 budget, but officials are cautious about counting on revenue from the development of a wind farm.

The county is expected to receive more than $200,000 from the Horizon Wind Energy project in 2009. The Houston-based developer plans to build The Rail Splitter Wind Farm, a 29-turbine development in Logan and Tazewell counties.

Still, officials are hesitant to add that figure to projected revenues because the deadline for an appeal by a group opposed to the wind farm has not yet passed. A lengthy delay would mean the county would not receive money from permit fees and taxes.

After several lengthy discussions, the board agreed to count $150,000 of the expected revenue in the budget.

This week, the board approved a preliminary draft and will vote on the spending plan in October. The fiscal year begins Dec. 1.

"We feel comfortable that those revenues will be available and yet we are still not counting everything we expect to get," said County Board Chairman Dick Logan. "If we don't do that, we have to make more cuts. Construction has already started in Tazewell County, so it's not a big risk."

The new budget includes a 3 percent increase in salaries for nonunion county employees. Board members felt the county could not afford a 4.1 percent increase that would be in line with the current Consumer Price Index rate.

As it stands, all county departments cut anticipated expenditures by 1 percent. But more cuts may be in store in the future, said John Stewart, the chairman of the board's workshop meetings.

"We are facing hard time and we need to take some responsibility," he said.

The county is expected to end the year with around $450,000 in the general fund which will carry over into next year. Auditors for the county have suggested that annual minimum be closer to $1.2 million.