WILMINGTON — The heads of Clinton County government departments will get a memo from the county commissioners, asking that the departments’ 2017 budget requests not exceed the sum of money set aside for that department in 2016.

As work on the 2017 countywide budget draws near, Clinton County Commissioner Kerry R. Steed during Monday’s commissioners session raised the idea of making a recommendation to the county elected officials and department heads.

In support of the idea, Steed cited revenue forecasts made last week by Clinton County Chief Deputy Auditor Carol McFall. She noted there will be a reduction in Medicaid sales tax revenue for Clinton County of reportedly about $840,000 a year. That elimination of Medicaid sales tax revenue will start next summer in Ohio.

In addition, the county is letting a 0.5 percent local sales tax roll off at the end of this September. Last year, that sales tax generated about $2.8 million.

According to Steed, the state is requesting its departments to not ask for more than 90 percent of their 2016 appropriations.

He suggested the county ask its departments to “stay flat” — no more than 100 percent of their 2016 appropriations — when submitting their anticipated 2017 expenditures.

The two other Clinton County Commissioners, Mike Curry and Patrick Haley, supported the budgeting recommendation being made to county department heads.

The commissioners’ budgeting timeline calls for county departments to have their 2017 budgets ready for review by Oct. 1.

Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768 or on Twitter @GHuffenberger.