Highlands Today
County, Cities Look At Cost Savings
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Published: February 15, 2008
SEBRING — In Lake Placid, a hiring freeze. In Sebring, no money for the Boys and Girls Clubs. At the South Florida Water Management District, web casts instead of off-site meetings.
In recessionary times, with constitutional budget cuts and reduced sales tax revenues, governments are saving money any way they can.
Highlands County
Last year, Vicki Pontius, Highlands County's parks and recreation director, closed the R.K. Butler Campground on Route 721.
"It's a nice facility," Pontius said. "People can still use the boat launch and the basketball court, and there's a picnic table."
But she had to lay off the resident caretaker, who lived in a mobile home near the Kissimmee River.
So far this year, the five county commissioners haven't given department heads any direction, but the bosses know they'll be required to cut.
In 2007, the Legislature required taxing authorities to roll back millages to 2006 levels, minus another 3 percent. In January, the voters passed a constitutional amendment which furthered property tax cuts for houses, mobile homes, farms and businesses. And Florida's economy, while officially not in a recession, is lagging in state sales tax collections, which is shared with counties, cities and schools.
"That's going to be addressed with the board during the budget cycle, within the next week or two," said Gloria Rybinski, the county's public information officer.
"We're hoping we can hold onto what we have and stay the course," Pontius said.
Lake Placid
Mayor Tom Katsanis has instituted a hiring freeze.
"If I think it's critical, I will replace them," said Katsanis, who was elected two years ago on a Bushesque "no new taxes" promise.
"We haven't had anyone leave yet," Katsanis said. "We only have 38 employees. But if Phil Williams, the police chief, would have left, I would just put John Honeywell in as police chief. I would not have replaced the police chief. But Chief Williams stayed, which was fine with me."
Williams was a finalist for a police chief job in another city, but pulled out of contention.
"I've told all department heads to hold off any expenditures," Katsanis said. "That's one thing department heads have to learn, that even if their budget has been approved, if there's no money, so they just have to wait to purchase things."
Katsanis doesn't know yet how much the city will lose in the fiscal 2008-09 budget.
"We've got the income from this fiscal year already," Katsanis said. "We're cutting back in anticipation of the next fiscal year."
Lake Placid has already raised its water rates, now Katsanis is looking at fees and surcharges on the use on parks, the cemetery and other services. There are 1,700 people in the town limits, but another 10,000 in the greater Lake Placid area who use the town's services.
Sebring
The city of Sebring expects to lose $200,000 from Amendment One, and as much as another $200,000 from sales tax revenues and the 2007 legislative tax cut. Assistant City Manager Scott Noethlich and Budget Director Mike Eastman are working on the 2008-09 budget now.
"We're asking all the departments to watch their budgets, and make sure they are saving money anywhere they can, so we can perhaps carry that into next year's budget if necessary," Noethlich said.
The city has already warned charitable agencies to expect smaller – or no – contributions this year, Noethlich said.
"I spoke to Wally Randall today," Noethlich said. Randall is the executive director of the group, which tutors children and provides after-school recreation.
"He expected us to be looking at that, and he is looking for other sources of funding as well. He just got back from a grant-writing course."
"But we don't want to touch fire and police," Noethlich said.
Sheriff's Office
Lisa McGehee, the sheriff's chief of staff, said department heads were meeting Thursday to develop strategies to prepare for next year's budget.
"We know there's going to be some reduction," McGehee said. They'll hold back on buying items from the capital budget.
"Everything that does not cripple us operationally, unless it's a grant-mandated purchase," McGehee said.
Instead of a blanket hiring freeze, Sheriff Susan Benton is looking at which non-emergency positions to rehire.
"We have to have someone in the seat, answering the 911 call," McGehee said.
South Florida Water Management District
The board of directors, headquartered in Palm Beach, could cancel a series of off-site meetings, including one this spring in Highlands County. But SFWMD wants to take policy-making meetings to local communities, which provides easier access across a 16-county region for all constituents.
Instead, the staff has recommended that the board consider expanded use of technology, such as web casts, to further broaden public access.
SFWMD will also used its own other government-owned facilities for off-site meetings, whenever possible, with the public, elected officials, utilities, agricultural, environmental and business organizations.
They will also give preferential use of hotels with "green lodging" certification from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( bdwong ) on February 15, 2008 at 8:09 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
This is great, HOWEVER the county is still going to spend up to $600,000 a year to hire for new created positions????
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Posted by ( Been_There_Done_That ) on February 15, 2008 at 9:48 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
The Commissioners whine more than Heather Mills. Get over it people, and cut the spending.
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Posted by ( homesteader ) on February 15, 2008 at 7:37 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
when things are great they hire hire hire ,buy the best equipment (taxpayers) money can buy create parks that the taxpayers have to pay upkeep on & when things get tuff they cry about not enough money everyone knows that they try to spend all the alloted budget so they can get more the next year
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Posted by ( qtrim ) on February 16, 2008 at 9:55 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I see nothing wrong with any of these cut backs. Government must be reigned in from time to time. In 1980 the state was financed by just a 4% sales tax. Now it's 7% and they still want to go higher.
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Posted by ( qtrim ) on February 16, 2008 at 9:59 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Florida should consider something like Washington State's Initiative 960, which requires the 'Office of Financial Management' to communicate information about proposed legislation that would raise taxes and fees. They send out an email blast as soon as some legislator proposes a new "fee" (code for tax). So far this year, voters feedback has killed several new "fee" based programs.
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