BCC budget 7.5 million dollar shortfall next year. How are we going to make it up?

[idlewind]

It will only hurt a few badly. Some will feel some minor pain, but I think it can be done. Have to wait until we get the first round of budget proposals then will start seeing what might be done as far as suggestions are concerned.

Do you want to wager on how many county agencies/officers/not-for-profits turn in a budget with decreases? I hear most of the county agencies are cutting because the Board mandated they do so, but my guess is the not-for-profits and Constitutionals will either stay the same or ask for more. And someone told me that the Finance Director for the county has said he would not allow the BCC to take the only cuts this year. Sounds like the budget hearings might be must see TV.

That said, some of the Not-For-Profits might turn into Not-In-Existence if their funding is cut more. So, the real fight may be when services begin to be cut or ended and these "tax hawks" start screaming about the loss of services they have a right to. People need to learn, there is no free lunch and you get what you pay for.

 

[wrobert]

Regarding County Commissioner offices, why the heck can't they use a cubicle or office in that fancy new CourtHouse, and one in our South Walton CourtHouse Annex? That is what is really needed. Is there some law that states the Commissioners' offices must be in their own district?

Regarding high end salaries, remember that the Constitutional Officers' salaries are set by the State.

No. In Escambia County, which has significantly more constituents, the commissioners each have an office in a central location and they have one secretary that they ALL share between them. It is a part time policy making job, they are the ones turning it into a day to day position requiring the support staff for such activity.

High end salaries of employees is what I am sure people are speaking too. The State does set the salaries, but benefits are set some other way, not sure yet just how that happens because no one will tell me, but still looking.

 

[Interested Girl]

First place I would start is to eliminate Code Enforcement - total waste of taxpayer dollars. Give the Robo Cop vehicles to the sheriff and send everyone else home.

 

[wrobert]

Do you want to wager on how many county agencies/officers/not-for-profits turn in a budget with decreases? I hear most of the county agencies are cutting because the Board mandated they do so, but my guess is the not-for-profits and Constitutionals will either stay the same or ask for more. And someone told me that the Finance Director for the county has said he would not allow the BCC to take the only cuts this year. Sounds like the budget hearings might be must see TV.

That said, some of the Not-For-Profits might turn into Not-In-Existence if their funding is cut more. So, the real fight may be when services begin to be cut or ended and these "tax hawks" start screaming about the loss of services they have a right to. People need to learn, there is no free lunch and you get what you pay for.

Which non profits do you think we will still need? They started a program a few years back and have been slowly reducing funding each year. The Clerk and the Tax Collector are fee based offices so the BCC approves their budget but has no real authority as to how much it is. They have to get it approved in Tallahassee.

If you look at the spending, starting in 2004 when the county budget went up 57% and see the tremendous jumps it has made each years since, and then break out the constitutional offices and see how little they have increased. So now the BCC wants everyone to cut the same? Makes no sense. We should reward efficiency. If collections are back to the 2005 level for taxes then let us go and cut spending back to the 2005 levels and then allow increases equal only to population and cpi increases and see where we are.

Making sure that all legal taxes that are levied is another way we can solve the problem. Sales tax on commercial electricity, bed tax on rentals, illegal homestead exemptions, all of these things where people are gaming the system lead to the rest of us having to pay and ultimately hurt the children of Walton County.

 

[idlewind]

Which non profits do you think we will still need? They started a program a few years back and have been slowly reducing funding each year. The Clerk and the Tax Collector are fee based offices so the BCC approves their budget but has no real authority as to how much it is. They have to get it approved in Tallahassee.

If you look at the spending, starting in 2004 when the county budget went up 57% and see the tremendous jumps it has made each years since, and then break out the constitutional offices and see how little they have increased. So now the BCC wants everyone to cut the same? Makes no sense. We should reward efficiency. If collections are back to the 2005 level for taxes then let us go and cut spending back to the 2005 levels and then allow increases equal only to population and cpi increases and see where we are.

Making sure that all legal taxes that are levied is another way we can solve the problem. Sales tax on commercial electricity, bed tax on rentals, illegal homestead exemptions, all of these things where people are gaming the system lead to the rest of us having to pay and ultimately hurt the children of Walton County.

Grit and Grace, Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, ARC, are good programs. Maybe they will step up their fund-raising.

As to county spending, are you saying that our former Sheriff did not get any money from 2005-2008? I was under the impression that he was spending money so fast he needed a printer.

You are 100% on target about collecting all the taxes and stop the cheating.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Making sure that all legal taxes that are levied is another way we can solve the problem. Sales tax on commercial electricity, bed tax on rentals, illegal homestead exemptions, all of these things where people are gaming the system lead to the rest of us having to pay and ultimately hurt the children of Walton County.

Two of those are legit, but the bed tax on rentals will not solve the problem of the $7.5 million shortfall, as those bed taxes go to the TDC (Tourist Development Council), not the BCC. However, it was mentioned at the last BCC meeting that the County needs to better pursuit some of these people not paying the bed taxes on the short-term (six months or less) rentals.

 

[ShallowsNole]

Two of those are legit, but the bed tax on rentals will not solve the problem of the $7.5 million shortfall, as those bed taxes go to the TDC (Tourist Development Council), not the BCC. However, it was mentioned at the last BCC meeting that the County needs to better pursuit some of these people not paying the bed taxes on the short-term (six months or less) rentals.

As if we didn't know that already...:roll:

 

[30ashopper]

The county is far, far from bankruptcy. They have millions in assets and in the bank. They just want to keep it and build more parks. And they can always raise the millage five mills and fix it all.

So use that to cover the shortfall? Isn't that what rainy day funds are for?

Screw the parks, we're in a recession. They can put the darn parks projects on hold.

This is amazing. Do we really have assets in savings, and why are we building more stuff when we should be cutting back?

 

[idlewind]

So use that to cover the shortfall? Isn't that what rainy day funds are for?

Screw the parks, we're in a recession. They can put the darn parks projects on hold.

This is amazing. Do we really have assets in savings, and why are we building more stuff when we should be cutting back?

I believe there are statutory reserve requirements for local governments. Isn't it funny that the closer the government is to the people, the stricter the fiscal requirements.

 

[wrobert]

So use that to cover the shortfall? Isn't that what rainy day funds are for?

Screw the parks, we're in a recession. They can put the darn parks projects on hold.

This is amazing. Do we really have assets in savings, and why are we building more stuff when we should be cutting back?

It is pretty disgusting. But in the coming weeks you will hear about millions in assets that could easily be disposed of to make up shortfalls, thousands in benefits that could be changed, and this is before you even start looking at how things are ran. These are things that concerned citizens are stumbling across because they asked a few questions. If everyone would get involved just a little bit, man at the changes that could be made.

Of course the easy way is to just raise taxes a little bit and it will all be okay.