A round of state budget cuts is causing changes at Missouri's county courthouses. It also raises questions about local control of local resources.

In a letter to a judge in another part of the state, Missouri Chief Justice Ray Price Jr. recently signaled his intent to assign supervision of all deputy court clerks to their respective circuit clerks, rather than having some hired and supervised by judges.

That means some clerks in Andrew County will be reassigned come Jan. 1, though for now they will continue to office on separate floors of the courthouse in Savannah.

Justice Price's letter says the move was forced by the governor's requirement to trim $3 million from the judiciary system budget. He says the courts will need to become more flexible to make the most of their resources. Thirty-six counties in the state, including Andrew, Daviess, Gentry, Grundy, Holt and Platte counties in Northwest Missouri, will be expected to consolidate supervision of their deputy court clerks.

The requirement triggers a caution light in Andrew County. The commissioners fear the state is mandating how the county runs its courthouse. The state earlier indicated it would like to consolidate the courts' offices on the third floor in Andrew County's courthouse, which would require the University of Missouri Extension Service offices to relocate.

Finances further cloud the issue. Renovating the existing space for the court's needs would cost $35,000 to $80,000, depending on who is doing the estimating. Opinions differ on whether a grant offered by the state would have covered the cost.

During this recession, we support efforts to efficiently use government resources. Consolidating two court offices into one seems like a reasonable approach that could save taxpayers' cash. Such as proposal, however, is faulty if it only shifts a financial burden from the state to counties, which also have budgets stretched to the breaking point.

We believe that the closer government is to the people it serves, the more responsive it is to its needs. We must be alert to any proposal, whether intentional or not, that diminishes citizen involvement.

We accept that budget cuts will cause changes; we support those that increase efficiency and keep people firmly in control of their government.