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HAMILTON — Butler County commissioners say changing the name of the county's water department will better reflect its core mission, and make it easier to find in the phone book.

On Thursday, Aug. 28, they renamed the Butler County Department of Environmental Services the Butler County Water and Sewer Department. And the Solid Waste District is now the Recycling and Solid Waste District.

"A couple months ago, you provided us with a direction to get back to basics and focus on core services," said now-Water and Sewer Department Director Sue Vance. "The name will serve as a constant reminder to our employees of the work we should be focusing on, and will reduce confusion for our customers."

Vance said the county will save money by only putting the new logo, which cost it $255, on materials as they need replaced.

"We may be showing up with Butler County Environmental Services on our hats and our shirts and so forth, I would say at least until the end of the year," she said.

Commission President Charles Furmon agreed it was a step "back to basics," and Commissioner Gregory Jolivette said it will help people find the department in the phone book.

Vance presented a plan in May that would lead to a 10 percent drop in water bills and a 15 percent cut in sewer bills in 2009 by cutting 22.5 jobs and paying down debt. The positions on the cutting block mostly supported noncore programs, Vance said.

The layoffs were delayed when the union representing county employees hinted it may be open to other concessions to save those jobs. But the layoffs are still on the table, Commissioner Donald Dixon said.

"We're looking to see if we're going to get concessions from labor," Dixon said. "It (the plan) is still there. It hasn't gone away. There will be rate reductions one way or the other."

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2175 jsweigart@coxohio.com.