A handful of citizens will get the chance this year to tell El Paso County commissioners how the county should be spending its money in 2009.

Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to create the county’s first Citizen Budget Oversight Committee, which will set priorities for next year’s budget and present recommendations in May.

“We want a budget process where if the citizens can understand it, then they can make recommendations,” said commission Chairman Dennis Hisey.

Approval came after a tense discussion of who should be appointed to the committee, with Commissioner Sallie Clark in favor of limiting the group to residents.

Sheriff Terry Maketa was concerned that a group of novices wouldn’t have enough time to learn the complicated formula of what must be funded, by state and federal mandate, and what is discretionary.

“This isn’t city government where we just change our city charter and decide what operations we are going to perform,” Maketa said.

Though Clark was hesitant, the board agreed to allow four members of the committee to be retired El Paso County workers.

The committee will be made up of one appointee from each of the five commissioner districts, one for each of the six county elected offices and six others representing community interests such as business, health and culture.

People interested in participating in the Citizen Budget Oversight Committee should go to www.elpasoco.com or call 520-7276.