Wasco County’s budget committee will convene on Monday, and will be primarily examining a status quo fiscal plan for 2016-17.  Commissioner Scott Hege says department heads were asked to budget at current service levels.  He notes the biggest challenge remains keeping up with road maintenance, and he says the current proposal from Public Works Director Arthur Smith is to spend about $750,000 down from a beginning fund balance of close to five million dollars to increase the pace of road work.  Hege pointed out the beginning fund balance is separate from the road department’s reserve fund.  It was accumulated as the road department put money aside in recent years while the county has not budgeted over the last number of years for federal Secure Rural Schools Act funds because of the uncertainty of that program, but they have received some kind of payment each year.