The Tri-County Journal
& Chattahoochee Chronicle
PO Box 850, 71 Webb Lane
Buena Vista, GA 31803
229-649-6397
tjournal@windstream.net
Visit the Home Page for a complete list of headlines from THIS WEEK's issue.
expected shortfall of revenue
Community Calendars |
By RICHARD HARRIS
(From the Feb. 7, 2007 issue)
The various department heads of the Unified Government of Cusseta-Chattahoochee County have been asked to scrutinize their budgets and cut costs in any
George, who was hired as the interim manager last month, expects the local government to fall short of its expected revenues by as much as $700,000 by the end of this fiscal year (June 30). Of course they will also spend around $419,000 less than was originally budgeted for the police department that was shut down shortly after it was established.
“We went through the budget with a fine tooth comb looking at projected revenue and we expect to come up considerably shorter than the figures listed on our budget,” said George.
The biggest shortfall is expected to come in the category of Probate Court Fines. This is due to the fact that when the budget was passed, officials expected officers of the new police department (which no longer exists) to make more traffic arrests.
The budget had $750,000 of anticipated revenue listed in the Probate Court Fines category, but the year-to-date total of revenue actually generated is only $159,000. At that pace, with five months left in the fiscal year, the total revenue should end up at around $272,570, which is around $477,000 less than projected.
Of course, as noted already, the Commission doesn’t have to meet the majority of the expenditures that were projected for the police department. They had originally budgeted approximately $578,000 of expenditures for the department, but only around $159,000 was actually spent before the department was shut down. So, around $419,000 that the local government had planned to spend on the now nonexistent police department can be subtracted from their total anticipated expenses.
Even with that large amount of anticipated expense gone, George says cuts in spending are needed.
George has asked all department heads to limit their expenditures to “emergency spending” for the time being, but also said, “We obviously have to keep the county running and we will still provide the same basic level of services to the community.”
He is hopeful that department heads can find enough nonessential items to cut to help reduce the shortfall without noticeably affecting the way the government operates. He said not purchasing new computer software and putting off extra training are two examples of cuts that can be made without dramatic negative effects.
George has asked the department heads to identify such cuts that they can make and to give him updated projections of expenditures for their departments by February 15.
George also noted that he and the commissioners will begin the budgeting process for the next fiscal year sooner than normal.
“We’re going to start the process a little earlier and we’re also going to build a brand new budget from scratch,” he said. “We’ll go over line items in a little more detail and only use the previous budget as a rough guide.”
WHY SUBSCRIBE to the NEWSPAPER?
Below are headlines of articles that only appeared
in this week's print edition of the newspaper.
Letters to the Editor
* River Bend ‘Field of Dreams’ not a reality
* Claws & Paws volunteer says they could use some help
* Neighbor’s trash is not another’s treasure
* Coalition says commissioners failed their performance evaluation
Local News
* Lady Eagles are coming on strong
* Taiwanese visitors get a taste of Ellaville
* Preston Council moves forward with tweaking of traffic laws
* ‘ChattCo’ Panthers near top of Region 4-A
* Formal Valentine Ball planned in Ellaville
* Cusseta students, volunteers clean up highway
* Marion 4-H’ers have great results at DPA
* Art of Romance Exhibit arrives in time for Valentines
* Marion Commission chairman is largely ceremonial post
* Schley High gets ready to swing into baseball season
* Rainbow Garden Club enjoys ‘Retreat’ to the lake
* Barnes graduates from basic training
* Kasihta members enjoy guest speaker from To-Mar
* Webster Hog Show coming Feb. 20th
* CCHS girls score two victories
* Medical Reserve Corps looking for area volunteers
* Sweet treats for your sweetie
* SCHS downs Brookstone in boys’ basketball
* Box Top collection very beneficial to LK Moss
* LK Moss accepting Pre-K reservations
* Protecting modern day wildlife
* Lady Cats fall to CCHS and Taylor County
* Marion County High to host huge Forestry Field Day
* Schley Pre-K registration is Feb. 12-16
* Healthy Cooking Class to meet Feb. 12th
* Johnson is Marion High Student of the Week
* Smith wins SCES Arbor Day Poster Contest
* Tyson is LK Moss Student of the Week
* Webster County Elementary School News
* Help with addition is available
* Flu shot still advised
* MCHS Band selling ‘Heritage Candles’
* Law Enforcement officers scheduled to attend workshops on littering
* Schley students create models of Indian shelters
* LK Moss Primary School News
* PLUS opinion columns, obituaries, church news, and advertisements!
Learn How To SUBSCRIBE By Clicking Here!