After taking a minimal financial hit so far during the recession, the Jackson County government is now facing some difficult choices that could affect employee pay.
Monday night, the board of commissioners voted to clean out its 2009 contingency fund of $432,300 to cover the ongoing shortage of sales tax revenues. But even that move may leave the county short by another half-million dollars by the end of the year if the current trend continues.
While that is the immediate issue, Jackson County faces a much bigger financial problem in 2010 with a projected $3.3 million deficit.
Finance director John Hulsey told the BOC at a meeting Tuesday that he is submitting a 2010 budget that increases spending by 1.6 percent to $38.2 million. But that amount is $3.3 million more than the county’s projected revenue for next year.
For the complete story, see the August 19 issue of The Jackson Herald.
How can a financial director, in the middle of this recession and falling revenues, actually consider any increase in government spending?
I have not walked in his shoes; but, in my house falling revenue means smaller budgets.