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One Monday evening recently, I attended a Montgomery County Board of Supervisors meeting.

Now I wish I could say that this is something I intentionally do when issues I feel strongly about are being addressed. But the sad truth is, I don't usually make the time.

I was present at this meeting because my son needed to attend for a class project. Upon dropping him off, I decided to stay. I feel fortunate now to have witnessed that particular session and won't look upon our county government with the same detachment ever again.

As the supervisors took their seats, the thought crossed my mind that I'd seen cheerier gatherings at funeral homes. The weight of the world seemed to burden these people if their somber expressions were any measure.

After conducting several formalities of parliamentary procedure -- seemingly the special province of governmental bodies and encountered rarely enough otherwise as to make it seem quite quaint -- the "delegations" portion of the meeting began, at which point I began to more deeply appreciate the reasons for so many long faces.

First of all, a representative of Appalachian Power talked about the company's proposed rate increase for 2010-11. That set the misery bar relatively high, but the next delegation took it to the top.

The county's constitutional officers one and all addressed the board: sheriff, commonwealth's attorney, clerk of circuit court and county treasurer.

Each outlined in some detail the services his or her department performs for the county and its residents. Each declared that state budget cuts would be devastating to the functionality of the respective office and implored the board for help.

Sheriff Tommy Whitt said the deep state budget cuts would translate into a loss of up to a third of his patrol staff. These are the people who respond to 911 calls and investigate crimes and traffic wrecks. They include the resource officers providing security and keeping the peace in our schools.

Commonwealth's Attorney Brad Finch painted no rosier a picture. His office can ill afford cuts since it is busier than ever; during tough economic times such as these, some people are more apt to turn to crime.

Clerk of Court Erica Williams recited an amazingly varied list of legal documentation tasks accomplished by her staff -- everything from probating wills to issuing handgun permits. She pointed out that these tasks are mandated by the state for the county to provide.

In a classic catch-22, however, cuts in state funding will effectively cripple the county's ability to fulfill that mandate.

Country Treasurer Richard Shelton was the final member of this delegation to speak. His office collects the county's taxes; not unexpectedly in an economic downturn, revenues are down.

And so as each of these hardworking, earnest people pleaded his or her case for monetary help from county coffers to make up for shortfalls in state funding, the board members grew increasingly grim.

Support for vital county administrative functions is needed now at precisely the moment when the county, like the state, can least afford those costs.

My son and I left the meeting after two hours, and the board was on only the seventh agenda item out of 20. I don't know when those folks adjourned, went home and got to bed.

Moreover, I wonder whether they could sleep after such a weighty session. I know I turned in feeling humbled and disturbed, but also impressed and enormously grateful that we have capable people in our community who are willing to take on such unprecedented challenges, and who will try to do the right thing.

Heaven help them -- and all of us -- discern it.

Susan Stevens Huckle lives in Blacksburg and is a technical writer at Virginia Tech.