County Commission Should Follow Delray's Lead (NOT)
August 2, 2010
NOTE: This post was based on projections as reported by the Sun Sentinel on 7/31. On 8/3, Delray Beach decided to (probably) raise taxes after all and set the millage rate to 7.41 – a 3% increase. TAB formally withdraws its kudos from Delray Beach and will look elsewhere for examples of responsible government. CLICK HERE for the story.
Our Board of County Commissioners and Administrator Weisman, with their sliver of a 1.5% budget cut should look to the South for an example of how responsible stewards of the public trust behave.
The Delray Beach City Commission, facing a $7M budget shortfall, has decided to cut spending rather than raising the millage rate. Now granted, their $98M budget is pocket change to the BCC, but the size of their revenue shortfall is similar on a percentage basis.
“It’s going to be a tough process,” Commissioner Fetzer said. “The simplest thing for the commission is to increase the tax rate, but I just don’t think that’s going to work anymore.”
Seeking out ideas from employees and the financial review board, City Manager David Harden is being creative in seeking cuts. Here are some of the things they are pursuing:
- Furloughs equivalent to a 4.6% salary reduction with no layoffs.
- Cutting staff at fire stations
- Eliminating the city’s contribution to the retirement trust.
- using interest earned from construction bonds to pay the city’s debt service
- Charging employees a $65 fee to participate in the take-home car program.
Where is the creativity at the county level???
For full details, see the story in the Sun Sentinel HERE