Gwinnett ponders another round of budget cuts

By Patrick Fox

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Gwinnett County is staring at an extended financial famine.

With no solid sign of economic recovery in sight and a vocal mandate against raising taxes still ringing in their ears, county officials plan to cut budgets by another 9 percent in 2010.

And while most departments brace quietly for the ax to fall, some constitutional officers are wincing out loud.

“The only way my office can meet the budgetary recommendations is either through layoffs or furloughs,” said District Attorney Danny Porter. “I don’t intend to lay off employees because my caseload is not going to drop.”

County commissioners passed what they hope to be the last of the 2009 cuts last week when they approved $1.9 million in reductions from 10 constitutionally mandated offices. These offices include the courts, district attorney, sheriff and tax commissioner.

Porter, who trimmed $120,000 from his 2009 budget through attrition and prolonged position vacancies, said personnel accounts for about 94 percent of his budget. He said he can’t cut another 9 percent — $760,000 — next year without severe repercussions. The courts, he said, would likewise be affected because it would mean cutting people.

“Overall, in criminal cases, you can probably expect about a 20 to 30 percent increase in the backlog,” Porter said. “In the civil courts, I think it will go up even higher. So people are going to be waiting, instead of six months for a divorce, they’re going to be waiting two years.”

County budget director Chad Teague said revenue constraints are forcing all departments to rethink how they operate. He said the 10 constitutional offices are being asked to reduce spending by a combined $11 million.

“It could all come out of one budget or it could come out of them equally,” Teague said.

As with private business, troubled economic times are forcing departments to rethink how they operate, he said.

County finance director Aaron Bovos said the 10 departments are being offered the same retirement incentive package presented to regular departments this year. They are also being given the opportunity to come up with their own plans.

So far, three of the 10 departments — recorder’s court, the solicitor’s office and tax commissioner — have submitted budget-reduction plans for 2010.

Sheriff Butch Conway said the 2010 cuts are unreasonable.

“I communicated with them back in July that I could not take any more cuts,” he said. “With minimum staffing levels, I’ve taken all the voluntary cuts I could accept. We are already severely short-staffed.”

Conway said a recent study by the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association shows the Gwinnett County Jail is operating 169 positions short. Six housing units remain vacant in the new jail tower, he said, because he does not have the staff to open them. Recently, the jail opened a seventh vacant unit using overtime staff to handle the rising inmate population, which topped 2,800 in August, he said.

“The commission is going to have to find some way to fund public safety,” Conway said. “I would suggest they vote for a small tax increase.”