Douglas Walker and Keith Royson, Star-Press

As questions go, it’s a good one: How can Delaware County afford to send an elected official to China next month on an economic development trip when county government is struggling to make ends meet?

County officials are once again considering limiting hours of service, laying off employees and other ways of cutting millions of dollars from budgets thanks to shortfalls in property taxes and other revenue.

In fact, the county commissioners recently said they wouldn’t financially participate in a welcome center planned for west of Muncie because they didn’t have more than $200,000 in matching funds to contribute to the $4 million project.