SoWalSally
06-29-2008, 09:28 AM
http://www.waltonsun.com/news/county_1614___article.html/walton_money.html
Walton County is starting to feel the impacts of budget cuts at the state level, with every division throughout the county being affected, according to Sara Comander, Dist. 4 County Commissioner.
During the past two years, Walton County's budget has been reduced by $10.2 million, Comander said. "Public works and constitutional officers, such as the clerk of court and tax collector, took the biggest hits."
Ongoing projects will not be affected by the shrinking budgets, but no new money will be available to start new projects, said Cindy Meadows, Dist. 5 County Commissioner.
"Walton County has been fiscally conservative in past years and is in a good place," said Meadows. "We can still run the government unlike other counties in the state."
To save money in the long run, county officials are pushing to have as many dirt roads paved as possible while they still have the funds to do it.
"We actually save substantial money because they don't require grading," said Comander. Grading machinery is expensive to maintain, requiring a trailer for transporting it, two operators, fuel and maintenance costs plus its original purchase price.
District 5 has borrowed $15 million to implement an accelerated paving program, which will pave twice as many roads as usual. The district has approximately 28 miles of dirt roads.
"Anytime you can get the money and do it now is better, because prices go up every year," said Meadows. "We have the opportunity to save money in the future."
Besides locking in lower costs, paving projects will also provide employment opportunities.
The county also cut down on driving costs by changing to a four day work week in 2005 and rescheduling meetings to ensure people are not being forced to drive back and forth all over the place, said Meadows.
The next budget workshop will be held at the South Walton Courthouse Annex at 9 a.m. on July 10.
Walton County is starting to feel the impacts of budget cuts at the state level, with every division throughout the county being affected, according to Sara Comander, Dist. 4 County Commissioner.
During the past two years, Walton County's budget has been reduced by $10.2 million, Comander said. "Public works and constitutional officers, such as the clerk of court and tax collector, took the biggest hits."
Ongoing projects will not be affected by the shrinking budgets, but no new money will be available to start new projects, said Cindy Meadows, Dist. 5 County Commissioner.
"Walton County has been fiscally conservative in past years and is in a good place," said Meadows. "We can still run the government unlike other counties in the state."
To save money in the long run, county officials are pushing to have as many dirt roads paved as possible while they still have the funds to do it.
"We actually save substantial money because they don't require grading," said Comander. Grading machinery is expensive to maintain, requiring a trailer for transporting it, two operators, fuel and maintenance costs plus its original purchase price.
District 5 has borrowed $15 million to implement an accelerated paving program, which will pave twice as many roads as usual. The district has approximately 28 miles of dirt roads.
"Anytime you can get the money and do it now is better, because prices go up every year," said Meadows. "We have the opportunity to save money in the future."
Besides locking in lower costs, paving projects will also provide employment opportunities.
The county also cut down on driving costs by changing to a four day work week in 2005 and rescheduling meetings to ensure people are not being forced to drive back and forth all over the place, said Meadows.
The next budget workshop will be held at the South Walton Courthouse Annex at 9 a.m. on July 10.