MOSES LAKE - The Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District's 2013 budget could be reduced by 50 percent after the board of directors voted to have district General Manager Curt Carpenter draft a new budget during their meeting Tuesday night.

MLIRD board chair Mick Hansen made the motion to have Carpenter present the board with a new proposed 2013 budget at the next board meeting, reflecting changes in assessment fees he wanted to be made.

Board director Richard Archer seconded the motion. Covey voted against requiring Carpenter to draft a new budget.

Carpenter was unable to attend the meeting for medical reasons, according to MLIRD staff.

According to board director Ron Covey, a proposed 2013 budget already exists. Per board action earlier this year, Covey said that the 2013 budget would remain a 75/25 budget, meaning 75 cents would be assessed per $1,000 on the irrigation side of fees, and 25 cents per $1,000 would be assessed for irrigation and rehabilitation fees.

In 2014, Covey said the plan was to reduce the fee ratio to 50 cents/25 cents. The following three years would see a 25/25 budget.

However, Hansen's proposed fee ratio would cut the budget by 50 percent overall. The 2013 budget would be around $800,000.

Hansen said he received a letter from a state auditor in May, informing the district that it must keep separate books on assessment fees on charges for irrigation and charges for irrigation and rehabilitation.

In order to be in compliance with the state auditor, Hansen said the budget must be revised, specifically the assessment fees.

"I feel that if we try to go out here with a 75/25 budget that we've been rendering in the past, I think that we will find that we are going to be looking at a state audit," said Hansen during the meeting. "That's putting us in jeopardy and I don't want that to happen."

Hansen said he wasn't in favor of cutting the budget by such a large percentage, but after receiving the letter from the auditor, he said it needed to be done.

"We need to heed what he's saying and get it taken care of right away," Hansen said.

Covey asked for a copy of the letter from the state auditor, but it couldn't be produced that night. Hansen said he will make the letter available within the next few days.

Hansen said that even though he plans on reducing the budget, he will still have enough funds for his proposed land purchase and Connelly Park mobile home project.