Gadsden County interim administrator proposes personnel cuts as budget drops to $69.4 million at 8.553 mills

Interim County Administrator Mr. James and Finance Director Ray Knight presented commissioners with a revised budget proposal that reduces the millage presentation and proposes personnel reductions to meet an anticipated revenue shortfall.

"At 9 mills, last week, we presented you a budget of $72,409,510," Finance Director Ray Knight told the board. "Now we are presenting you with a budget at 8.553 mills at 69,384,141, which is $3,025,369 less than the budget that was presented at 9 mills on last week." Knight said the change would lower revenues by about $1.2 million compared with the higher millage presentation but would not be a tax increase on TRIM notices if that is the option the board moves forward with.

Mr. James framed personnel reductions as central to meeting the coming shortfall: he told the board that roughly 65% of the county budget pays employee costs and that department heads had been asked to identify opportunities to reduce staffing "without compromising services." He said departments brought forward recommendations and that some vacancies and staff reassignments are part of the proposed savings.

Commissioners pressed for more detail about which positions and services would be affected and asked that the packet listing departmental recommendations be provided to every commissioner prior to implementation. Finance Director Knight said she has a packet that lists the proposed cuts and that the county must post a tentative budget by Wednesday; she said the currently postable budget remains the prior 9.0-mill presentation unless the board directs otherwise.

The board will hold public hearings on the tentative budget and has a limited window to make further changes before publication of the notice.