A committee of the Barrow County Board of Commissioners has been unable to come up with a balanced budget for FY2010.
After meeting on a weekly basis for months and then in a marathon budget-cutting session all day Wednesday, the committee learned at the end of its meeting that the numbers were still off by $2.2 million.
Rather than make additional cuts, the committee decided it would present the numbers to the BOC Tuesday night and leave it to the commissioners to fill the gap. The meeting starts at 7 p.m.
With millions of dollars in cuts through layoffs and salary reductions this year, there doesn’t appear to be a simple answer to the budget dilemma.
County Chairman Danny Yearwood said he favors a 1-mill tax hike to cover the nearly $1 million in annual debt service on $15 million in bonds issued by the Winder-Barrow Industrial Building Authority for the 2006 purchase of land at the intersection of highways 53 and 316.
But Yearwood said most of the county commissioners oppose a tax hike – in large part because of the loss of the state Homeowner Tax Relief Credit that will cause homeowners to pay at least $224 more on their FY2010 tax bills – even without a millage rate increase.
Committee unable to balance Barrow budget for FY2010
Commissioner Larry Joe Wilburn said he favors balancing the budget by taking out a $2 million line of credit that would be used only if the county runs out of money. The legality of that option is being explored.
Also discussed by the committee is the possibility of not restoring holiday pay for employees. The BOC took away holiday pay in the middle of FY2009, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars. Stripping employees of all 10 holidays during the upcoming fiscal year could save up to $1 million.
However, Yearwood said the savings would not be that much because public safety offices operate 365 days a year. And Human Resources Director Norma Jean Brown said employees need their full pay during the holiday season of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's due to holiday expenses.
Yearwood said he personally favors cutting the budgets for the sheriff’s office and the detention center.
Sheriff Jud Smith, who is not on the committee, said in an interview that he understands that the county is in a fiscal crisis and that his departments would appear to be likely targets for further cuts due to their size. But he said he needs more staff, not less, to protect the public. And he said he would resist any further cuts.
The committee shaved about $1.5 million from Smith's initial budget requests – mostly for the extra 18 employees and 5-percent raises he requested in order to restore across-the-board pay cuts by the BOC in January. The committee also removed all of the sheriff's capital requests other than one for 20 vehicle cameras that would be funded through a grant.
Also discussed by the committee is the possibility of not restoring holiday pay for employees. The BOC took away holiday pay in the middle of FY2009, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars. Stripping employees of all 10 holidays during the upcoming fiscal year could save up to $1 million.
However, Yearwood said the savings would not be that much because public safety offices operate 365 days a year. And Human Resources Director Norma Jean Brown said employees need their full pay during the holiday season of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's due to holiday expenses.
Yearwood said he personally favors cutting the budgets for the sheriff’s office and the detention center.
Sheriff Jud Smith, who is not on the committee, said in an interview that he understands that the county is in a fiscal crisis and that his departments would appear to be likely targets for further cuts due to their size. But he said he needs more staff, not less, to protect the public. And he said he would resist any further cuts.
The committee shaved about $1.5 million from Smith's initial budget requests – mostly for the extra 18 employees and 5-percent raises he requested in order to restore across-the-board pay cuts by the BOC in January. The committee also removed all of the sheriff's capital requests other than one for 20 vehicle cameras that would be funded through a grant.
We have a lemon of a county being run by a used car salesman. Seems to me, he should be ABLE to SELL the county to businesses, industry, etc.... which would increase revenues.
Oh well, but you don't know the full responsibility of paying taxes timely...you were late paying yours.