TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hillsborough County Could Cut As Many As 1,000 Positions

ADVERTISEMENT

By TODD PRATT and DON JOHNSON

TBO.com

Published: March 27, 2009

Faced with a potential budget deficit of $100 million-plus - and growing - Hillsborough County officials confirmed Friday they are considering cutting the county payroll by as many as 1,000 positions over the next two years.

The revelation comes as the county wrestles with a tax base hammered by declining property values, along with shrinking revenue from sales and tourism-related taxes and other sources of county funding.

County commissioners had been warned last week that the financial situation was growing more dire, with budget director Eric Johnson predicting the county budget deficit would top $100 million next year. Johnson also predicted property tax revenue wouldn't grow for at least the next five years.

County Administrator Pat Bean said the county needs to cut the budget by $110 million to $115 million, which she said could translate into cutting 1,000 jobs.

"It could happen that way,'' Bean said. She said she will meet with sheriff's officials next week to ask that the agency share in the cutbacks.

"We have taken some cuts,'' Bean said. "He certainly hasn't cut. I'm not trying to be critical of him. He is trying to be cost effective, but I am going to need him to help me some. If not, I will have a harder time on my side of the house.''

Sheriff's officials could not be reached for comment Friday evening.

The county has about 9,000 employees, including those who work for constitutional offices such as the sheriff's and elections offices.

Commissioner Kevin White said cutting the payroll is inevitable but said the county will try to find ways to minimize the number of employees who have to be laid off.

"We are looking at eliminating unfilled positions before laying off personnel,'' White said. He did note, though, that losing a substantial number of county employees probably would mean that some programs would have to be eliminated.

Bean echoed that, saying, "I have been with the county for 32 years and never faced that kind of threat before.''

The commission has a budget workshop scheduled on Tuesday at which the subject of layoffs and county payroll is expected to be a dominant theme.

"They will enlighten us a little more on the direction they are wanting to go,'' White said. "It is going to be a hard budget year for everyone involved.''

Commissioner Al Higginbotham said the county leadership has been too slow in trimming expenses and making government run more efficiently.

"When we don't see true efficiencies, then this is what happens,'' Higginbotham said. "We have to as a county commission and a community make a real assessment with this budget.''

Commissioner Mark Sharpe said the county's budget woes call for "a dramatic transformation in the way local government provides services.'' At least week's county commission meeting, he suggested the county consider changes such as merging some county services like information technology with other local governments.

"We are not structured to handle slow to moderate growth,'' Sharpe said. "We've got to focus on our core mission. What is our absolute mission?''

He cited law enforcement and fire services as the county's top priorities, along with public works to maintain infrastructure. He said parks should be separated from county government and given their own financing mechanisms to become more sustainable, part of an overall philosophy of trying to wean the county off its dependence on property taxes.

Sharpe also said he wasn't pleased that Bean publicly stated that as many as 1,000 positions could be eliminated.

"I'm not happy when we are making comments like that. We have an obligation not to just scare people but an obligation to provide services.''

Todd Pratt can be reached at (813) 259-7514. Don Johnson can be reached at (813) 259-7607.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT