With little pomp or ceremony, the Burleigh County Commission approved the 2008 budget on Thursday.

No one raised a voice at the public hearing that preceded final adoption of the budget. The audience consisted of department heads awaiting any last-minute questions from the commissioners.

Commissioner Jerry Woodcox was absent and Commissioner Mark Armstrong joined in via telephone, while Commissioners Marlan Haakenson, Doug Schonert and Jim Peluso were present.

For the second year in a row, the county will have a budget that will not increase its portion of the tax bill that will be sent out later this year. Slight increases on behalf of the city of Bismarck, Bismarck Park District and Bismarck School District are expected.

"We've pretty well covered the budget over the last couple of meetings," Commissioner Doug Schonert said in making a motion to adopt the 2008 budget. "We've held it to a zero dollar increase in the city limits, with a small increase in the county due to increases in mill levies for the weed board and public parks, which have been underfunded."

The latest budget did represent a $25,000 cut of a request from Bismarck-Mandan Transit; a reduction in Sheriff Pat Heinert's request for new personnel from four to two; and a reduction in funds for emergency sirens because of a cost share with Bismarck, with the city paying 80 percent and the county 20 percent.

Burleigh will provide up to 5 percent in employee salary increases, with 3 percent for cost of living adjustment and 2 percent for merit raises.

A home in the city of Bismarck that saw a county tax bill of $397.31 in 2006 and an average valuation increase in 2007 should receive a bill of $397 in 2007.

The total budget for the county's 2008 general fund is $10,379,679, with $5,771,807 coming from the tax levy.

In other action at the meeting, the commission approved motions to levy the maximum for unorganized townships and appropriate mill levies, including the maximum levy for the general fund, library fund and senior citizen fund. It also voted to approve agreements for the joint exercise of governmental powers with the city of Bismarck relating to contracts for nursing services and police youth bureau, as well as the contract with Centre Inc. for community service and misdemeanor probation services funding, which is part of the detention center budget.