Public commenters urge scrutiny of budget increases and reliance on grants

At the Sept. 3 budget hearing, members of the public urged the commissioners to scrutinize budget increases and to consider the long-term implications of relying on grants. "This increase in the budget in the county is not an isolated increase on property owners ... Many of them are going to look at the fact that they cannot afford to stay in their homes," said Brad Cheetah, who identified himself during public comment and urged the board to consider zero-based budgeting and departmental cuts.

Clancy Kink, a resident and property owner, asked whether the county has an emergency plan if federal grants decline, noting the size of the federal debt and warning that grant reductions could force local cutbacks. Staff responded that non-property tax revenue sources include state and federal formulaic grants, competitive infrastructure grants, philanthropy and fees and clarified that some grants are formula-based (population-dependent) while others are competitive.