TONOPAH -- Visitors at county offices won't be offered free bottled water any more, as Nye County gets down to saving nickels and dimes in an attempt to cut the budget.

County commissioners Tuesday accepted Assistant County Manager Pam Webster's cost-cutting recommendations to combat a $2.4 million shortfall projected for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

The county will receive $900,000 less in property taxes due to tax abatements, according to a report from the Nevada Department of Taxation. The county should receive $35.8 million in revenue next year, about $1 million less than was projected a week ago, Webster said.

Sales tax revenues have also plunged due to the deteriorating economy. The state is claiming geothermal lease payments and net proceeds of mining revenues are projected to be flat.

"We should be coming up with a $1 million shortfall in '09 right now," Webster said.

That assumes her recommendations are enacted, like the deletion of 4 percent STEP increases for county employees, which would save $900,000 that will have to be negotiated with the employee unions.

The plan includes charging event planners for sheriff's department overtime and charging insurance companies for accident coverage, as previously discussed.

Retired county employees who have their medical insurance premiums paid for by the county could be signed up to a Medicare supplement plan.

Current county employees could be switched to a cheaper insurance plan as well.

The county could take $850,000 of interest in other accounts this year and next year and invest it in the general fund, Webster said.

"In addition to these provisions I would like to, just as a cost-cutting measure, implement immediately a review of the county-owned buildings that we're maintaining on a regular basis today and see if any of those can be transferred -- sold -- so they no longer have to be maintained," she said.

Nye County is consolidating county offices into a modular building on the Calvada Eye and has evicted the Nevada JobConnect service. The move is projected to save the county $111,125 annually.

Also up for consideration are not paying Wulfenstein Construction Co. $5,199 per month for the nuclear waste repository office at 1210 E. Basin Ave.; not paying Provenza Neth properties $2,760 per month to lease county administration offices at 401 S. Frontage Road; and not paying Andy Jordan $1,300 per month for leasing space at 1231 E. Basin Ave.

Webster also wants to start monitoring travel and credit expenses on a monthly basis.

"We can do things smarter. We can car pool whenever possible, we can try to attend as much training or required events locally rather than traveling across the country," Webster said. "We got bottled water in all our locations. Let's let people bring their own."

County employees could pool their cell phone usage through an AT&T program, Webster said.

Commissioner Joni Eastley said whatever the county can do without will be eliminated.

The preliminary county budget is due to be presented to the state by Wednesday. The final budget will be up for consideration May 15.

"We're stepping over dollars to pick up nickels. Let's not step over dollars or nickels, let's pick them all up," Eastley said.