By ED BALDRIDGE
ed.baldridge@newssun.com
SEBRING -- The Highlands County Board of County Commissioners are still short $866,232 for a balanced budget on Tuesday morning, but Assistant County Administrator Rick Helms stated that deficit would be corrected by next Tuesday.
The savings would come mostly through cutting salaries and furlough days for the county employees.
According to Helms, a 3.86-percent salary reduction for Emergency Medical Service personnel and 10 furlough days per year for the rest of county employees would clear up the imbalance this fiscal year.
According to Bernis Gainer, director of the county's Office of Management and Budget, the furloughs could save upwards of a "quarter or a million."
But some county commissioners were concerned about the cuts to payroll.
"Ten furlough days is a big pay cut," said Commissioner Edgar Stokes. "That puts a lot of workload back on to each employee for less pay. I am concerned about the level or service we are providing. Now we are gong to cut their pay again and increase their workload? I would like for you to take another look at that idea," Stokes told Helms.
County Commissioner Barbara Stewart also voiced her concern with the furlough cuts.
"I guess we are giving you a difficult task, Mr. Helms. We are spending more money than we have, and we have to make cuts. I am convinced that we could keep some of these small things that are big things for the public and cut administrative costs."
Stewart wanted to keep the service for libraries the same and reduce the overhead and administrative costs.
A reduction in library services in Avon Park and Lake Placid were one of the savings proposed to the commissioners.
"I would opt to eliminate some of our purely administrative and overhead people. We owe it to our outlying communities to take another look at that," Stewart said.
"If there is anyway we could have no cuts for the people of this county, that's what I would like to see," Commissioner Guy Maxcy said.
"I am afraid that if we cut EMS, some of our people will drive to other counties to work for three days. We could lose some good people," Stewart said.
The commission directed Helms to do further research to the budget, and to come back next Tuesday with those suggestions.
The commissioners will hold another budget workshop on Tuesday after their regular meeting in the government center in Sebring.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010 - www.newssun.com/0811-eb-county-budget