Uncertainty about whether the Warren County Extension Service will have a new director was one topic during the first of three days of budget talks among supervisors.

Another topic was how to apply the portion of gaming tax revenue remaining when the budget year starts Oct. 1.

The Mississippi State University-based Extension Service has been without a director here since John Coccaro retired July 1. Replacements must be proposed by one of the service’s four regional offices and approved by county governing boards, who fund part of the director’s salary of about $50,000.

Statewide, more than $1.4 million in salaries and equipment was cut from the extension service budget this year. Supervisors here said no funding request for the job, formerly called a county agent, had been made.

Extension officials said the Warren County job had not been eliminated, but it had not been funded either.

Job cuts involve 13 directors and other staff in the service’s Raymond-based Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center, of which Warren County’s office is a part, interim head Dr. Stephen Dicke said Wednesday.

“We want the very best candidate we can get our hands on,” Dicke said, “But, we don’t have the permission to fill the position yet.”

Marcus Davis, an 11-year employee in the Warren County office, is serving as interim director.

One restructuring plan outlined does away with individual county directors and creates “clusters” of two to four counties. Each grouping’s counties would be staffed with four office workers and six agents — two each for agriculture, Four-H youth development and family and consumer sciences. In the past five years, Warren County has kicked in up to $83,000 to fund the local office. Cutbacks to build up reserves are poised to lower that for 2010-11, with a $76,043 allocation eyed for 2010-11, County Administrator John Smith said.

Gaming funds are projected to show a carry-over cash balance of $956,316 for next year, up by $247,465 from this year. Spending out of the gaming fund is projected at $3,348,684 in 2010-11, compared to $2,205,000 in revenue — a loss due to supervisors’ renewed push to catch up on road maintenance. Second to roads on the fund’s to-do list is $220,000 for 10 more patrol vehicles in the sheriff’s department.

General fund projections are on tap for discussion today, as supervisors expect to discuss the sheriff’s department and jail budget requests. The board has given every indication the budget will be smaller than this year’s $15 million spending plan.

An objection hearing is scheduled for Monday at 9 a.m. in supervisors’ third-floor boardroom in the courthouse for people to voice opinions on their property values.