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Highlands Today

Cities, County Eye 2009 Cautiously

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By JOE SEELIG

Highlands Today

Published: December 23, 2008

SEBRING - After a challenging 2008, Highlands Today asked some government officials their assessments of the budget situation for next year.

Highlands County: 'Number Of Challenges'

There are a number of challenges facing Highlands County government for next year, said Assistant County Administrator Rick Helms Monday.

REVENUES

Revenues are expected to be down, he said.

•Property values were trending downward at the last adjustment. The property appraisers office is going to be adjusting property values in January, he said.

•Sales tax revenues drop when sales are down.

•Attempts by the State Legislature to shift its costs to local governments continue, including the possibility of the county paying a greater share of Medicaid costs.

•The county may have lost its "small county status" that possibly renders it ineligible for some grant programs .

The Bureau of Economic and Business Research is the official determiner of population between census years. The bureau determined that the population of Highlands County has grown above 100,000, to approximately 100,200.

JOBS

The county may have to take a look at staffing levels, but most staffing reductions happen by attrition and shifting personnel to different departments where there are openings, said Helms.

Will it affect Emergency Medical Services or law enforcement?

"Public safety is one of the last areas you want to see any reductions," said Helms.

The real challenge will be maintaining the levels of service even though there's less money, he said.

PLUS SIDE

There are some federal programs that may provide some financial relief by channeling dollars to state and local projects, said Helms. County officials will have to see what kind of funds may come available.

City of Sebring: 'A Good Budget'

City of Sebring's Finance Director Mike Eastman painted a brighter picture.

"We have a balanced budget for 2008-2009," he said. "And it looks like a good budget, a balanced budget I feel comfortable with. The concern is not knowing six months from now how things are going to go. I was conservative in September with my estimated numbers."

REVENUES

The city gets various revenues from the state, said Eastman, including a fuel options tax. As of September 2008, the state reduced it.

The city is looking at a reduction overall of about $88,000, but Eastman wasn't worried.

"When I adjusted it, I had it lower than they adjusted it," he said. "I'm just very conservative when I do my budget."

CUTS

Did he anticipate any cuts?

"Not at this time," Eastman said. "That could change. They could adjust it again."

But the city still had a little wiggle-room, he agreed.

The city has no emergency budget hearings scheduled.

"We have budget amendments throughout the year," he said. "But that's just normal stuff."

City Of Avon Park: Special Budget Hearing Planned

The city of Avon Park will hold a special budget hearing in January to address an anticipated shortfall of revenues from the state.

REVENUES

City Manager Sarah Adelt said the city is expected to suffer a $157,000 shortfall.

The city's portion of sales tax and fuel tax revenues mixed with a decrease in property tax monies - in part due to Amendment One - was less than what the city budgeted for its 2008-2009 fiscal year.

Adelt said in years past the mindset was to work on a budget, and over the course of the year, live within those means.

Staying in a positive mode, Adelt sees this as an opportunity move to do quarterly budget reviews.

JOBS

At the present time the city was not replacing anyone, Adelt said.

Councilman George Hall said Monday the council has not talked about letting anyone go but had mentioned in a previous report about not filling the vacancies left when two Avon Park police officer were arrested on police misconduct charges and were suspended.

"I think we're going to be working with a very fluid budget," said Hall. "We're going to have to revisit it several times over the year. I think everything is on the table, recreation, more participation through outside leagues.

"Sewer rates are way low. We've already done the water side on a five year adjusted schedule."

Town of Lake Placid

City Clerk Arlene Tuck was not working Monday and a call to Mayor Tom Katsanis was not returned by press time.

Joe Seelig can be reached at (863) 386-5834 or jseelig@highlandstoday.com .

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