DOBSON — As he rapidly nears a June 1 deadline, County Manager Dennis Thompson is working to complete a budget to recommend to the Surry County Board of Commissioners that will take into account an expected decline in property values next year of half a million dollars.

Thompson must have a budget recommendation completed by the 1st, and on June 7, he will publicly present his recommendation to the commissioners at their regularly scheduled meeting. Then on June 21, a public hearing will be held for the proposed 2010-11 county budget.

At a budget meeting on Thursday night, the county manager presented some of the notes he has made as he prepares a budget recommendation. These were not the official recommendations, but Thompson and the board did work together to refine some of the numbers.

One thing Thompson pointed out is that property value in the county is expected to go down by $500,000 next year, so the county will have less tax revenue to work with. The county also is looking at a decrease in sales tax revenue.

The county manager is thinking about recommending the county cut some unfilled positions from the budget in an effort to reduce expenses. He also may eliminate some special school requests, choose not to fund non-profit organizations requesting money for the first time, and reduce funding for the Mount Airy/Surry County Airport from $150,000 to $100,000.

Officials are talking with fire department and school officials this weekend to refine their tax district requests.

After the board looked over some of the county manager’s preliminary thoughts on Thursday, Commissioner Craig Hunter said to Thompson, “I think you’ve done a great job.”

Thompson’s final recommendation will be presented at the upcoming meeting.