Will Boone County Government be cutting anything in its 2011 budget

I have attended the budget hearings this Monday and this Thursday at the Locust Street Center.  The County Board is faced with a large revenue shortfall and asked for proposed budgets that will reflect  smaller budgets. I believe a 12% cut is the proposed target so the budget expenses will match revenue projections. Yet it seems few of the  departments are following the request.  What is the problem —the county board not requiring the departments to comply or the department (many of whom are elected officials) choosing not to comply?

First off,  As shown in capital letters in photocopy #1, “DEADLINE FOR ALL BUDGETS FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2010, 12 PM.  The Sheriff’s budgets for the Public Safety Building, jail and sheriff’s patrol were not submitted as of August 30 and according to a statement from the Sheriff at the Public Safety Committee Meeting on August 30.  They will be submitted after “month’s end”.  The Sheriff’s budgets are the largest  based upon payroll. Either the committee is asking too much or the Sheriff can do what he wishes.  At the Thursday meeting the County Administrator indicated that the Sheriff’s budgets were received however they would not be released to the board until the administrator had an opportunity to review the budgets.  Needless to say, the report will not be available to the public until after that.

The budget request from Growth Dimensions also was not received and a “zero” was used on some finance committee documents however it is anticipated that Growth Dimensions will be making a budget request.

I will be posting the budgets from both the Monday and Thursday meetings—HOWEVER—the big news is that the committee is changing their procedures.  See the posting directly above.  The committee and the board will determine what the county’s revenue “should be”, what reserves they will spend and then begin to work out the numbers with the department heads.

 

Click on the photocopy to enlarge:

#1-- Schedule   #2—Sched   #3—Sched

STATES ATTORNEY

Nearly the entire cut is in Grant Wages—a cut in students  working  at reduced rates.  These wages are actually paid from grants and are effectively a pass through with no net effect on budget. These attorneys cannot be used on felony cases.

The budget is shown on photocopy #4.  a written statement concern the effects of a 12% cut is on photo #5.  Photocopy 6 shows the department employees and their wage costs.

#4—St At Budget       #5 St. At     #6 St At Wages