From the Anderson Herald-Bulletin:
The face of county government could change next year under a $39 million budget proposed by the County Council for fiscal 2013.
A public hearing on the spending plan will be held in the Madison County Government Center at 6 p.m. today.
Among key changes is a proposal to strip the Madison County Board of Commissioners of its support staff; eliminate the Central Records Department and reassign those duties in the County Clerk’s office; and remove nine of 10 courthouse security positions.
Two County Commissioners — who plan to testify tonight in hopes of reinstating at least some of their staff — complained Thursday that the cuts seemed designed to punish.
South District Republican Commissioner Steffanie Owens said the council’s proposed budget would eliminate the position of office manager, currently held by Linda Smith, and two other support staff. Smith is also the Republican candidate for County Auditor.
“I can only take the attack on the commissioners’ budget personally,” Owens said of the council’s proposed cuts. “Their goal isn’t to save money, it’s to be vindictive and vicious.”
The commissioners and council have been locked in a power struggle since February when the council eliminated the wheel tax, which helped finance road projects. Then, in early April, the council’s four member Republican majority declared a fiscal emergency, saying the county faced a $5.8 million deficit, and eliminated jobs in the Information Technology Services department, on the commissioner’s staff and in the voter registration office.
The commissioners filed a lawsuit against the council, arguing that those actions interfered with the commissioners’ ability to serve as the county executive, and caused irreparable harm to public safety.
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http://heraldbulletin.com/breakingnews/x325742539/Public-event-about-budget-cuts-proposal-set-for-today
