Lawrence County officials may have to revise the county’s budget certification if interest incomes continues to fall short of expectations.

Lawrence County Treasurer Stephen Dale Burcham said interest income during the month of January was $1,920.

County officials had initially expected to earn $350,000 in interest in 2009, but as Commission President Jason Stephens pointed out, “There have been lots of changes since the certification came out.”

The commission agreed to ask the county budget commission to consider recertifying funds in light of the lighter-than-expected interest.

Each year the budget commission, made up of the county treasurer, auditor and prosecutor, certify, based on projections, what revenues the county may anticipate collecting in the coming year.

Last year county officials had initially anticipated $700,000 in interest income and had to cut that figure in half after the national economy spiraled downward, taking interest rates along with it.

On a brighter note, Burcham said his office will begin this week offering a direct debit option for real estate tax payers.

Those residents who choose to do so may voluntarily sign up to have their real estate taxes debited from their checking account. Those interested may call Burcham’s office at 533-4304 or 533-4305.

Meanwhile, the deadline for paying the first-half real estate taxes in Feb. 27.

Burcham said tax collections thus far have amounted to $3.9 million; mobile homes taxes have amounted to $86,000 thus far.

Burcham anticipates by the time the books close on first-half collections, his office will have collected $13 million in real estate taxes and $200,000 in taxes on mobile homes.