Bills are in the mail and collections are open for the county’s first half tax bill.

Lawrence County Treasurer Stephen Dale Burcham told county commissioners at Thursday’s meeting the statements were sent out just ahead of the new 1-cent postage increase set for Sunday.

By sending the statements early, Burcham said he saved about $550 on the approximately 55,000 tax bills that are mailed out.

“And you like to give people as much time as possible,” he said.

Deadline to pay is March 8, Burcham said.

Commissioner Les Boggs also addressed budget cuts in Burcham’s department, saying he “plans to make a motion to rectify that.”

After the meeting, Burcham said his supply budget was cut from $22,000 last year to $5,000 this year.

“That doesn’t even buy the paper,” Burcham said, noting his office prints all tax bills in-house to save on the costs of an outside printing company.

“I don’t have the resources to print them and send them out,” he said.

This year’s first half tax bill were printed with funds from last year’s budget.

In order to send the second half tax bills out on time, Burcham said he would have to order the forms in the next two or three weeks.

In other action of commission:

• Approved out-of-county travel request for Jack Welz to attend the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers in Reno, Nev., in June.

• Approved the blanket out-of-county travel request for 2013 Lawrence County EMS to Tri-State hospitals and billing companies.

• Approved out-of-county travel request for Mike Boster, EMA supervisor, for Gallia County quarterly Regional Citizens Corp Grant, Huntington Homeland Security meeting, Greenup County to speak at Marathon, and Columbus for annual Ohio Emergency Management Agency seminars.

• Approved out-of-county travel request for 2013 mandatory educational training for Veterans Service Commission and service office staff.

• Approved and signed the 2013 Lawrence County Inmate Housing Renewal between Lawrence County and Scioto County for 10 beds per day at $48 per day.

• Approved a budget reallocation request for the former Alpha Cement project.

• Approved the reappointment of Lela McClintock to the Lawrence County Planning Commission for a three-year term.

• Approved the construction modification 1 and 2 Intermountain Roadway Project.

• Approved the certificate of categorical exclusion project to obtain a release of funds for the food bank freezer project in the county’s formula grant in the amount of $100,000.

• Approved and signed the resolution authorizing the Lawrence County Engineer to prepare and submit an application to participate in the OPWC State Capital Improvement/Local Transportation Improvement/Emergency Program.

• Had an executive session with Gene Myers, director of Job and Family Services, regarding personnel. No action was taken.