The Lowndes County Commission is holding its annual planning retreat this weekend at the 4-H Camp in Lake Park.
Officials are stating that projected decreases in revenue will cause a massive budget shortfall, in the area of $2 million county-wide. With the anticipated cuts in funding from state and federal sources, the county will be handicapped in its ability to continue funding at current service levels to citizens.
The county funds the sheriff’s department, the jail, the court system, the public defender’s office, the library system, animal control and much more. The county has numerous mandated expenditures that are set by legislators that cannot be changed.
The county has been running a relatively lean government for several years, leaving positions unfilled for long periods, but cannot continue to operate in that manner indefinitely.
Last year, most all departments got cut, many severely, in the county’s budget, and there is no reason to expect things will be different this year.
So what’s left to be cut? Good question. Good luck to the chairman, county manager and commissioners as they try to figure it out this weekend.
