Next year's budget for Bedford County Solid Waste Authority will be tight, according to officials, with an eventual shortfall expected despite a projected surplus to begin the fiscal year.

Last month, the authority voted to submit two different budget requests to the county's Financial Management Committee. Budget "A" covers what board members believe the county's sanitation department will need, while Budget "B" contained a five-percent cut.

The request to submit two different budgets came from the finance committee in April, and applies to all county agencies.

The first budget projected $1,065,500 in revenues and $1,137,232 of expenses, a shortfall of $71,732, while the budget with the five-percent cut estimated revenue of $940,000 and $1,020,232 in costs, a $80,232 shortfall.

Of course, the biggest increase in costs for solid waste was diesel fuel, estimated to cost $104,500 for fiscal year 2008-09. But that estimate was made last month and since that time, the cost of fuel has continued to rise.

County Mayor Eugene Ray said he has "never seen a budget this tight" while Chairman Venson Hawkins said it was "going to be a tough year."

County Road Superintendent Stanley Smotherman said that while there will be a surplus of $92,322 going into the next fiscal year, there will likely be a shortfall. One reason is the unpredictable price of fuel and also the need for a new rolloff truck.

The 1992 Mack truck will need to be replaced soon and Smotherman said last month that the vehicle was "living on borrowed time."

The agency's financial statement was also delivered by Smotherman, who reported a beginning balance of $148,574, with a revenue of $9,944 and expenditures of $126,196, leaving an ending balance of $32,322.

Projected revenue for the rest of the fiscal year is estimated to be $154,000, with projected expenses of $94,000, leaving the projected balance on June 30, the end of the fiscal year, to be $92,322.

In other action, it was reported that Cedar Ridge Landfill took in 924.52 tons of garbage at a cost of $19,794, and Solid Waste Coordinator Gay Ervin stressed the importance of industry reporting its recycling efforts to the county.

She said that many businesses make efforts that could be considered recycling and that those efforts need to be reported to her office.

The information will be entered into the Municipal Solid Waste Planning Region's Annual Progress Report, which is required by state law.

Tennessee requires a 25-percent reduction of the waste stream.