County Budget On The Chopping Block, $15 Million Needed

March 6, 2008

The Escambia County Commission held a budget workshop on Wednesday, and every dollar spent in the county came under scrutiny.

With the passage of Amendment 1, Escambia County is facing a budget shortfall of about $12 million beginning with the new fiscal year that starts October 1. Director of Administrative Services Jean Kassab says in a county memo that the county is facing a $1 million subsidy requirement for the county’s emergency medical services department, another $1 million needed next year to keep ECAT’s public transportation afloat and a loss estimated at $900,000 in sales tax revenue due to a declining economy.

An early retirement plan is also under consideration. The plan will provide a financial incentive to take an early retirement for employees that are at least 50 years old or have at least 30 years of qualified service (25 years for high risk employees).

Sherrif Ron McNesby has submitted a $79.7 million budget, the largest budget of an county department. That amount is about $3 million less than the sheriff’s budget last year, a 3.75 percent decrease.

Commissioner Grover Robinson proposed that commissioners cut their salaries by five percent, but that motion died due to the lack of a second.

A list of county departments and their budgets has been created. The departments are prioritized, with those at the bottom of the list likely to face the largest cuts or even total elimination. Some of the bottom budget items include the Council on Aging, Lakeview Center, Wildlife Sanctuary, First Call for Help, Junior Achievement, Pensacola’s Promise, Gulf Coast African American Chamber, Human Relations Commission, West Florida Regional Planning Council, Sertoma Club and the Merit System Protection Board.

Century’s Lake Stone current budget request is at $23,472, and it is ranked at number 34 on the list of 78 county departments.

The commission’s next budget meeting will be held March 19 at 8:30 a.m. in the commission’s chambers in downtown Pensacola. The budget is expected to be finalized by July.

To see the county’s prioritized department budget list, click here.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News