From the Kokomo Tribune:
The Miami County Council is proposing to cut $1.1 million from the county budget for 2012, including reducing staff in at least four departments, to meet state mandated cuts to the county general fund.
Council members met Thursday to discuss the new budget, which tentatively could be approved on Tuesday.
Although the state Department of Local Government Finance required the county to cut $800,000 from budget, Ralph Duckwall, 2nd district councilman, proposed the increased reduction anticipating an additional $300,000 loss in revenue due to state tax caps.
If the budget is passed, it will bring down the adopted budget of $9.2 million to just under $8.1 million.
...
But even with the reductions, Duckwall said the proposed 2012 budget is only “putting bandages on the wound.”
Although it would meet the state mandate, he said revenue in the county is expected to decline or stay the same in coming years. Last year, he said $7.7 million came into county coffers, requiring council to dip into reserve funds – like the rainy-day fund – just to get by.
If revenue doesn’t improve, he said council will continue to have to cut spending, which could include eliminating more positions.
Duckwall said the county is looking into hiring an independent budget consultant to help develop a long-term plan to keep the budget solvent."
http://kokomotribune.com/local/x1511611884/Miami-County-set-to-pass-budget-cuts
