In Belmont County, Commissioner Mark Thomas told NEWS9 the county is currently 25 percent over budget, in comparison with 2007, because of the extra expense on gasoline.

In Jefferson County, commissioners told NEWS9, in the engineer's department alone the county's experienced a 56 percent increase in cost.

In 2007 commissioners told NEWS9 the Jefferson County Engineer's Office spent around $33,000 by May, but this year they've spent nearly $66,000 on fuel.

Also, in Brooke County, commissioners told NEWS9 the Sheriff's Office is currently $8,000 over budget.

And in Ohio County, commissioners said the Sheriff's Office is creating an increase in budget costs as well, with a projected expense of $25,000 to $35,000 more being spent on gasoline in 2008 than expected.

Thomas said one option for counties to save money on fuel may be to buy their own tanks and supply their own fuel.

The Belmont County Department for the Developmentally Disabled currently operates with their own tanks, and the agency told NEWS9 they save 18.4 cents on every gallon through buying bulk and eliminating the federal gasoline tax.

Pamela McCort of the Department for the Disabled told NEWS9 the agency saved around $13,000 a year on gasoline last year.

However, McCort said operating with individually owned tanks does not completely resolve the issue because the cost of gas is continuing to rise.

Other agencies throughout the various counties said the same, arguing that places in every county already operate with their own tanks and the cost of gasoline is still straining budgets.