First Council Reviews First Budget

Fall is my favorite time of year. The leaves turn and fall, sweatshirts become weekend favorites and people in Jefferson County prepare for the celebrations of All Hallows Eve.  In this, my first year on the County Council, the anticipation of the scary celebration was brought to a new level level as we awaited the delivery of the county executive’s budget for review and approval. 

For the most part, council meetings in October were uncontroversial, creating an eerie sense that it is the calm before the storm.  I have spoken with the county executive in several brief conversations about the budget.  I know he has been working hard to create a balanced budget to submit to the council (the Charter requires that we have a balanced budget). I also know the economy continues to struggle.  For a county that is largely funded by sales tax, this creates an anticipated shortfall that makes for difficult budget choices.

The draft budget was provided to the council by November 1.  I have just begun to review it, but from all I have heard, this will be the most difficult budget this county has faced in at least 15 years.  In addition to the difficult economy, 2012 is a presidential election year.  In presidential election years, the county is required to fully fund two elections, the primary in August and the general in November.  Presidential elections are particularly expensive because of the increased voter turnout. 

On top of all this, 2012 will be the final year of the transition government.  This means that the two transition executives will continue to be on the payroll.  The new county council members also will begin getting compensated in 2012.  Many have expressed concerns that the charter will increase the cost of government.  In this one year, both the old and the new council will be compensated in 2012, and yes, the government will be more expensive, by around $70,000 in 2012.  After next year, the cost of government should be significantly lower.    

The council is ready for the challenge. We have prepared to devote several evenings to review, understand and propose changes. This will be the first county budget any of the council members have reviewed. For the past year, we have been working under a budget drafted and passed by the previous administration.  This will set the course for the next year, and the way that we deal with this will likely set precedent for many years to come. 

As the chair of the council, I look forward to watching how my fellow council members deal with this challenge. The council has been fortunate to have elected officials with a diverse set of backgrounds.  One of the council members has a background in accounting, so her skill set will be especially important to us over the next month. 

Happy November.