Barrow County’s revenue forecast brightens

“I think there is an expectation that tax revenues may not come in as they have in the past, and we want to continue to be conservative in our approach to the budget for FY2010.”

The Barrow County Board of Commissioners' public hearing on the budget will begin at 6 p.m. in the commissioners’ meeting room at the annex on East Broad Street.

At the hearing will be Sheriff Jud Smith, whose two budgets – for the Sheriff’s Office and the Barrow County Detention Center – have been on the chopping in recent weeks.

Smith in an interview today said he has agreed to spend $266,000 less in FY2010 than has been spent in the current fiscal year that ends Sept. 30.

He said he has agreed to relinquish one currently vacant position in court services and to spend less money for prisoner food, for supplies and for fuel.

Even with those cuts, Smith said he has been told there is a $521,000 shortfall in the county’s FY2010 operating budget that may be filled by tapping the county’s reserves.

However, if the tax digest’s more modest decline leads to additional revenue, that may not be necessary, he said.

The final FY2010 county budget is scheduled for adoption at a called meeting on Sept. 28. The meeting is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.