Council adopts $51,592,880 budget for 2009

The San Juan County Council adopted its 2009 budget to the tune of $51,592,880 including all funds – by a vote of 5 to 0 with Council Member Gene Knapp abstaining, according to County Communications Manager Stan Matthews.
Approximately $14 million of the total budget is the so called “County Current” budget which funds the day-to-day operation of the county. That budget is $220,000 dollars less than last year’s operating budget.
While most county departments took budget cuts and approximately 10 percent of the
work force will have reduced hours, several cuts in services that were proposed in the preliminary budget were avoided in the budget as adopted.
Most notably, the parks department will attempt to obtain grant funds and work with
volunteers to keep day parks and restroom facilities open. The Health and Community Services Department hopes to be able to continue some of its immunization programs, and some funding for the program that provides transportation to senior citizens for medical and essential services has been restored.
Tuesday, Dec. 9, the Council did reject a final appeal from the County Assessor to restore funding for a full time appraiser’s position that was being cut to half time. Council Member Knapp told the Council that the employee now in the position would probably leave if full time employment wasn’t provided and expressed concern that appraisal work that could generate as much as $300,000 in tax revenue could be jeopardized by the reduction. However his motion failed to win the necessary four votes to restore the funds.
This was the next-to-last regular meeting of the current Council. Two newly elected
members will be sworn in on Jan. 12. After the adoption of the budget, Council Member
Rich Peterson told his colleagues, “Very early on, the new council ought to get really, really serious about taking a levy lid-lift to the public.”
The County is limited to a one percent annual increase in revenue from taxes on existing property without voter approval. Flat property tax revenue, in conjunction with falling sales tax income, has forced the County to rely more heavily on user fees and reduced services.
Peterson concluded his remarks by saying, “This wasn’t easy and none of us enjoyed it, but I think there is a whole lot of it coming, unfortunately.”
Auditor Milene Henley and Administrator Pete Rose have warned the Council that more
cuts could be required before the end of next year, if sales tax revenue declines further. The 2009 budget as adopted includes a cash reserve of $1.27 million; approximately $230,000 less than Auditor Henley had said was the minimum desirable level.
A spreadsheet with a comparison between the 2008 and 2009 County budget follows.
Detail of the 2009 San Juan County Budget is available on-line at:
www.sanjuanco.com/docs/Adopted2009budgetdetail.pdf