Friday, January 9, 2004
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Friday, January 9, 2004 |
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Budget passes, but with no extra programs By JOHN THOMPSON The Coweta County Commission passed its $30 million 2004 budget Tuesday, but not before newly-elected Chairman Vernon “Mutt” Hunter vowed not to revert to deficit spending. County Administrator Theron Gay presented the board a balanced budget, but said there were also seven additional items totaling nearly $750,000 the board could consider adding to the budget. “We (the staff) don’t have the power to raise taxes, so we’re bringing them back to you,” Gay said. The items included everything from a $360,000 ambulance to additional personnel in the Sheriff’s Department and $15,600 in compensation for commissioners who attended out of town board meetings. “I’m not going to vote for these projects. It’s not that I’m opposed to them, but I’m just not going to vote for a deficit budget,” Hunter said. Commissioner Robert Wood recounted the tale of his first commission meeting in 1993. “I walked in and discovered the county had a $1.8 million budget deficit. We sent it back and they cut spending, and we ended up the year with an $800,000 surplus. I know there are things that can be cut,’ he said. Gay insisted his staff had cut everything possible in this year’s budget, and there was not room for any additional trimming. When it was suggested the county could fund the projects using funds from their reserves, Hunter said he would not support it. Instead, Hunter suggest the county monitor sales tax receipts on a monthly basis, because he felt the economy is turning around. “If the trend shows our receipts are increasing, then we can deal with these projects on an individual basis,” he said. The commissioners agreed with Hunter, and passed the balanced budget.
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