Community Forum Focuses on County Budget

	Commissioner Santamaria said he has done his best to hold the line on spending. « Previous | Next »

Commissioner Jess Santamaria held his monthly community forum on July 21 at the original Wellington Mall. Approximately 50 residents attended, and they learned a great deal about the FY-2011 budget from County Administrator Bob Weisman. He spent about an hour reviewing the proposed spending package, including comparisons of millage rates, total taxable property values and countywide property tax rates over the past several years.

Mr. Weisman noted that all county departments have reduced their budgets in response to declining ad valorem revenue. But the Sheriff's Office, an independent constitutional office, has not. The sheriff's proposed FY-2011 budget is $461 million, which is an increase of 54 percent since 2003. Over that same period, budgets for county departments have increased just 14 percent. "We're trying to provide the services that we think everyone deserves," Mr. Weisman said, "(but) unless there is a willingness to look at the sheriff's budget, you can't significantly decrease the overall county budget."

Questions from the audience touched on a home's appraised value versus market value, the need for more budget oversight of constitutional offices, getting better value per tax dollar, eliminating guaranteed step-raises and take-home vehicles for sheriff deputies, and auctioning off excess county-owned land.