The challenge for DeKalb County Commissioners to cut spending this year crystallized Tuesday, when most county departments pleaded for more money instead of saying what they could do with less.
In a daylong meeting with a dozen Constitutional offices such as the tax commissioner, sheriff and different local courts, the commission's budget committee asked to hear how each department would operate with a 5 percent or 10 percent cut to spending from Chief Executive Burrell Ellis' proposed $547 million budget. Only five compiled.
Commissioners, who hoped the information would help guide cuts from the budget when they approve a spending plan by month’s end, said the delay does not mean that cuts will not come.
“I feel like the administration threw us under the bus so we have to make all the tough decisions,” said Commissioner Lee May, who heads the budget committee. “We still don’t know what the outstanding issues are, even in departments we heard from. But we do believe the money is not going to come in the way this budget projects.”
Unlike other metro counties where the commission makes all budget decisions, in Dekalb the CEO submits a budget for review each year but final say on spending lies with the commission.
Last winter, the commission rejected Chief Executive Burrell Ellis’ call for a 2.32 mill property tax increase, instead ordering $33.6 million in cuts.
Several departments didn’t make the reductions by summer, though. Combined with overly rosy projections, the commission needed to raise taxes by 4.5 mills – 26 percent – to balance its 2011 spending.
Asking for departments to explain how they would make their own reductions this year was designed to solve that sort of last-minute panic and help the commission make more surgical cuts.
Solicitor-General Sherry Boston's budget proposal from Ellis was 2.7 percent higher than last year's to cover two hires for a new pre-trial diversion program.
She said she would eliminate that program if the commission cut her budget by 5 percent. A full 10 percent cut would also eliminate a special victims unit, which handles cases like a recent high-profile dog mauling, domestic violence diversion program and the community prosecutor’s office.
“Without these programs, our prosecution becomes reactive and not proactive, which is what we want to be,” Boston said. “I don’t want to make those cuts but I can since I am only mandated to prosecute.”
Many of the Constitutional officers used those obligations to argue for more money, without always specifying how their requests would allow therm to meet their mandates.
Requests for more ranged $2,000 more total for Probate Court judges to attend training sessions to $1.2 million more for the Superior Court to increase salaries and buy new furniture.
More common was the request of District Attorney Robert James, who said Ellis's budget proposal was $410,000 short in what he paid in salaries last year. He also asked for another $500,000 to pay for a corruption investigation at the county’s water department and reviewing possible test cheating at county schools.
“I do appreciate the position the county is in, with dwindling revenue.,” James said. “ But … I look at my office and feel like we got hit over the head with a sledgehammer.”
The session was not televised on cable access, as commissioners originally asked so citizens could see first-hand the requests and tough choices ahead. Commissioners have asked that similar budget reviews next Tuesday and Thursday, featuring county department heads, also be put on TV.
“For years, we’ve been asking them for different ways to get the job done and that hasn’t happened,” said Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton. “There has to be some leadership. There has to be some accountability.”
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