[Image: table 5]Table 5 shows operating expenses that could be expected for an abatement district at $1,000,000 and $500,000 budget levels. To a large extent, the availability of funding will determine the size and scope of the program developed; however, it is highly unlikely, with few exceptions, that a district will be able to eliminate a cost category and still expect to have an effective abatement program. As seen in Table 5, no expense category has been eliminated when comparing the two funding levels. Limiting the number of personnel hired offers the highest cost savings for an abatement district. Doing so, however, generally requires employees to take on multiple responsibilities so that the program continues to offer effective and efficient services. Cost savings in the remaining expense categories can be linked, in general, to a smaller staff.
In addition to limiting staff and limiting other operating expenses, there is some flexibility in and among the expense categories. This flexibility may allow an abatement district to find cost savings in certain categories, which would allow increased spending in other categories. The ability of an abatement district to modify expenses in some or all of the expense categories will be influenced by a number of factors. Specific costs for an abatement district for many of the categories can be influenced by the part of the state in which the district is located. Other factors that can influence costs are the ability or use of intergovernmental agreements and cost sharing among governmental entities within the district. Contracting services with an existing abatement district may offer some costs savings over providing all services in-house. In addition, existing governmental entities (i.e. police juror, etc) may be able to provide some cost sharing for some expense categories.