Forsyth County Sheriff Ted Paxton will avoid laying off deputies with a short-term fix to his $1.9 million budget shortfall.
The county board of commissioners voted Tuesday to use $300,000 set aside for the jail to help fund Paxton's department until August while the county looks to squeeze money from an already tight budget to make up the difference.
Paxton told the commissioners June 15 that he would have to lay off 88 of the county's nearly 300 deputies in order to make budget ends meet for the rest of 2010.
He said yesterday he and the commissioners are both committed to avoid layoffs.
"But it is challenging right now," Paxton said.
With falling tax revenues, the county budget has dropped by more than 20 percent in two years, and Paxton's budget has been flat. This year, Paxton's budget was $32.6 million, which is 41 percent of the county budget. He has been unable to replace patrol cars on schedule and some costs such as health care are rising. He said he has been warning the commissioners that his budget was short since it was set last year, he said. He has been shuffling money around in accounts to keep his deputies on the road. But that shell game can no longer work as all the accounts are running low.
The county departments and Sheriff's Office have put in budget requests totaling $93 million for 2011, but the county's projected income is $80 million. It has given employees furloughs and cut benefits and programming. Earlier this week, the commission voted to increase the millage rate by .785 for the 2011 budget.
Charles Laughinghouse, the chairman of the board of commissioners, said he hopes to whittle down Paxton's request for an additional $1.9 million by finding as much money as possible from other sources. After that, the county will probably have to dip into its reserve fund, he said.
About the Author
The Latest
Featured
