Gwinnett studies ‘aggressive’ budget cuts

Does every Gwinnett County department head need a car? Would it be better to lease vehicles instead of buying them? And why does the county have multiple warehouses when one might be cheaper?

These are among the hundreds of questions nine Gwinnett County employee task forces will seek to answer over the next 100 days in an urgent effort to cut costs and increase revenues as the county settles in for what its leaders believe will be a long economic siege.

“We need to demonstrate to our citizens that we are doing everything we possibly can,” County Administrator Jock Connell said Wednesday after announcing the initiative.

The groups will seek to find $35 million in reduced expenses or increased revenues, and should make their recommendations by November, in time to be included in the 2009 budget.

“There will be some aggressive recommendations,” Deputy County Administrator Michael Comer predicted.

The $35 million figure roughly matches the amount of money county officials have budgeted to spend from the county’s reserve fund this year due to stagnant or declining revenues and rising costs.

The county has already implemented a hiring freeze for non public-safety jobs and asked county agencies to reduce fuel consumption.

Connell said he told department heads to remember that their jobs are to serve residents.

“If we have to do things that make us uncomfortable, that’s what has to happen,” he said.