Okay I see three scenarios.
Cut services.
Doubt you will see much of that.
Cut spending.
I am sure that there are plenty of places to find some savings, but do not know if there are enough to get out of this hole.
Raise taxes a mill or so.
$100 on a $100K house. This is just the BCC side, I have not seen any figures from the school district yet.
wrobertwrobertBeach FanaticDeFuniak Springs4,132 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach Fanatic
wrobertBeach FanaticDeFuniak Springs4,132 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach Fanatic9,610 views
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Smiling JOeSmiling JOeSoWal Expert31,643 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal Expert
Smiling JOeSoWal Expert31,643 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal ExpertI think the gov't should do like everyone else -- make do with what they have. Most everyone has taken a substantial hit in their income over the last year or two. With this, they eventually stopped spending at the same levels. Businesses did the same. They often cut back work force or cut back on everyone's salaries, in order to stay in business. They didn't try and get more income by charging more for goods and services, which is essentially what would be happening if taxes are increased. Doing so, would close many businesses as the customers would go elsewhere or do without.
Cut back, cut back, cut back. Scooterbug is on a good start with decreasing trash collection to one/week in the off-season. Most of my neighbors put their trash out for collection maybe every third pick up (10 days). Surely, there are other ways to cut back.
Cut back, cut back, cut back. Scooterbug is on a good start with decreasing trash collection to one/week in the off-season. Most of my neighbors put their trash out for collection maybe every third pick up (10 days). Surely, there are other ways to cut back.
Andy AAndy ABeach FanaticBlue Mountain Beach4,389 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach Fanatic
Andy ABeach FanaticBlue Mountain Beach4,389 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach FanaticOn 4/02/09 there was a Walton County Taxpayer's Association meeting on the upcoming budget. County Administrator Ronnie Bell was the featured speaker. The short of it is he has already found ways to address the 7.5 million budget shortfall. He was specifically instructed by the BCC he was not to increase the millage rate. If you need more information on this meeting go to Walton County Taxpayers meeting in this thread on 4/03/09.
Edited
On 4/02/09 there was a Walton County Taxpayer's Association meeting on the upcoming budget. County Administrator Ronnie Bell was the featured speaker. The short of it is he has already found ways to address the 7.5 million budget shortfall. He was specifically instructed by the BCC he was not to increase the millage rate. If you need more information on this meeting go to Walton County Taxpayers meeting in this thread on 4/03/09.
Oh Andy. That song has already changed.
But just think. We could raise the millage rate 5 mills, that would bring in an additional 80 million or so, with that we could start all of the capital projects that we have dreamed about putting everyone in the county that wants to work back to work. Now that would mean that if you had a house valued at 100K you would pay an additional $500 in property tax. But for less than $2 a day, everyone is working.
idlewindidlewindBeach FanaticWalton/Okaloosa County and a little south alabama 2,687 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach Fanatic
Oh Andy. That song has already changed.
But just think. We could raise the millage rate 5 mills, that would bring in an additional 80 million or so, with that we could start all of the capital projects that we have dreamed about putting everyone in the county that wants to work back to work. Now that would mean that if you had a house valued at 100K you would pay an additional $500 in property tax. But for less than $2 a day, everyone is working.
Robert, you need an intervention. RAISE taxes 5 mills? Millions around the county are in cardiac arrest! :floor:
Now I know you are a Bush "conservative.":rolling:
(Just teasing you a little😀)
idlewindidlewindBeach FanaticWalton/Okaloosa County and a little south alabama 2,687 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach Fanatic
I think we SHOULD approach the problem w/o raising taxes.
IMO there are definitely some overpaid and/or unnecessary positions and perks that could help balance the budget.
One suggestion I had - how much would we save by only having garbage pickup once a week during the "slow" times?
Other than garbage, please identify those programs you think we can cut out. And tell us exactly which positions you think are "unnecessary" or the individuals you think are "overpaid."
I await your answer so that I can capture heat from the firestorm you start and use it to produce electricity for my home and business.:floor:
FloridazFloridazBeach Comber20 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach Comber
FloridazBeach Comber20 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach ComberIt's restricted at the state level? You've got me curious now, I'll have to do some reading up.
Actually, the State of Florida sued Walton County for not using the funds for Tourist programs several years ago. The TDC was using the money to build beach walkovers...needless to say, the State lost. And they should have...
Matt JMatt JSWGB24,862 postsJoined View profileMessageSWGB
Matt JSWGB24,862 postsJoined View profileMessageSWGBIf you eliminate a program you can shift the employees around and allow attrition to weed them out. The immediate savings is on fuel/utilities, reduced equipment and supplies.
Cutting jobs/salaries should be a last resort. Most businesses I know cannot afford anymore drops in revene.:bang:
No offense intended to the sowallers I'm using in this example.
This isn't the best idea in Civil Service. I'm not too keen on shallowsnole running a radar at 331 and 98. Just as I'm sure shallowsfuzz wouldn't be too keen on patching roads.
The point is that you can't just swap out government employees willy nilly and expect it to work. Why not just arm the TDC employees since they're on the beach? That would save a deputy from patrolling the beach, but it would probably result in a couple of lawsuits.
Here4GoodHere4GoodBeach FanaticPoint Washington1,264 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach Fanatic
Here4GoodBeach FanaticPoint Washington1,264 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach FanaticOh Andy. That song has already changed.
But just think. We could raise the millage rate 5 mills, that would bring in an additional 80 million or so, with that we could start all of the capital projects that we have dreamed about putting everyone in the county that wants to work back to work. Now that would mean that if you had a house valued at 100K you would pay an additional $500 in property tax. But for less than $2 a day, everyone is working.
Why wRobert, you old Socialist! Who knew?
scooterbug44scooterbug44SoWal ExpertSowal16,706 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal Expert
scooterbug44SoWal ExpertSowal16,706 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal ExpertOther than garbage, please identify those programs you think we can cut out. And tell us exactly which positions you think are "unnecessary" or the individuals you think are "overpaid."
I await your answer so that I can capture heat from the firestorm you start and use it to produce electricity for my home and business.:floor:
I thought of garbage, because it is a service I use and I figured the gas alone would be a significant savings if we cut it back to once a week.
If you would supply me with a list of the entire budget and staff I can make more suggestions. Eliminating perks like cars or per diems is another suggestion.
Matt JMatt JSWGB24,862 postsJoined View profileMessageSWGB
Matt JSWGB24,862 postsJoined View profileMessageSWGBI thought of garbage, because it is a service I use and I figured the gas alone would be a significant savings if we cut it back to once a week.
If you would supply me with a list of the entire budget and staff I can make more suggestions. Eliminating perks like cars or per diems is another suggestion.
You'll be begging for twice a week once season hits full force.
scooterbug44scooterbug44SoWal ExpertSowal16,706 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal Expert
scooterbug44SoWal ExpertSowal16,706 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal ExpertYou'll be begging for twice a week once season hits full force.
The original suggestion was that we cut back to once a week during "slow" times, not season. :wave:
Why wRobert, you old Socialist! Who knew?
if you can't beat them....join them.
I thought of garbage, because it is a service I use and I figured the gas alone would be a significant savings if we cut it back to once a week.
If you would supply me with a list of the entire budget and staff I can make more suggestions. Eliminating perks like cars or per diems is another suggestion.
You guys get garbage service 2 times a week? Imagine that. Now you know where your 80% of the ad valoreum taxes are going. We only get it once a week. And we are suppose to be the trashy rednecks.
TechPyleTechPyleBeach LoverWay over the rainbow67 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach Lover
Cutting salaries might not be good in the long run. Government salaries generaly do not go up rapidly nor do they decline quickly. A salary cut could put Walton County employees below comparable pay with other governmental agencies. This would recreate the 80's and 90's where the county would hire a beginner train them and get them certified and that person would leave fore greener pastures. The turnover with the county in that time period was terible. Also the perdiem accounts pay for travel reimbersment for people going for continuing education or other required classes. Some perdiem accounts can be cut others are required to pay for people to go to required coursework to maintain requirements such as EMS, FIRE, Corrections, Dispatch and others.
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