TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Suncoast Pinellas News

Pinellas Officials Offer Grim Budget Forecast

Mark Schantz/SUNCOAST

Pinellas Commissioner Karen Seel listens to residents comments during Tuesday night's town meeting on the 2010 county budget at Palm Harbor University High School. County officials say spending reductions will be needed because tax revenue is down.

ADVERTISEMENT

By Mark  Schantz | The Suncoast News

Published: March 4, 2009

PALM HARBOR - Pinellas officials had no good news for people who attended a Tuesday night town hall meeting on the county's budget plans for the 2010 fiscal year.

Instead, they offered dire predictions about the fate of the local economy and county services many people have come to expect during the meeting at Palm Harbor University High School.

County Administrator Robert LaSala said core services and programs will have to be cut and county workers likely laid off to slice 20 percent of expenditures and balance the budget for the 2010 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

LaSALA

John Woodruff, director of management and budget, said forecasts show further economic weakness through 2010 and 2011, making more budget cuts likely.

County officials are holding town hall meetings like the one Tuesday night because the want to know what specific programs residents feels they cannot live without.

Some of the people at Tuesday's session, however, suggested the county cut administrative costs before tapping into core services. Some even asked officials whether they would be willing to cut their salaries to offset the revenue shortfall.

Others questioned what happened to financial reserves the county might have amassed during the years of prosperity fueled by the statewide real estate boom.

In response, Mark Woodard, an assistant county administrator, said the decline in revenue has been so steep any amount of money the county could have saved is gone. In addition, the county must keep 15 percent of its budgeted revenue, or about $102.8 million, in reserve and can't spend it to maintain services, he said.

Read more about Tuesday's meeting in the Saturday edition of The Suncoast News.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT