Published: March 15, 2006 04:22 pm      

County staring down $3M budget cuts

Individual offices trims coming by Tuesday

Don’t think Floyd County is in a financial crisis? Just ask County Court Judge Glenn Hancock.

Hancock asked the County Council for an additional $3,500 for court interpreters Tuesday night. That seems like small change for a county whose budget is a little more than $10 million.

However, Hancock was told he would have to try and get the money from the County Commissioners.

“We’re broke, it’s as simple as that,” County Council President Ted Heavrin told Hancock.

Heavrin’s words remained the theme for the night. Before next Tuesday, Council members have to go to each county office and find ways to cut $3 million from the budget — which was at $11.2 million in 2005. If office expenses can’t be cut, people will have to be laid off, Heavrin said.

“The state has mandated that we cut a little more than $3 million from the budget we submitted,” Heavrin said. “We have to start cutting the best we can.”

Heavrin said if the council is allowed to pay off the jail in a lump sum in June, that would save $7 million. The jail is expected to be paid off in December. The county has already put back $7 million to pay off the jail.

“I can’t remember ever having to cut this much,” longtime council member Larry McAllister said. “Last year they made us cut $1.2 million and that was no problem. But $3 million is a lot. We were expecting cuts, but not these types of cuts.”

After making the rounds to the county offices, County Council members will return for a special meeting Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the County Commissioners room to start making recommendations to slash $3 million from the budget.

“We have no choice,” Heavrin said. “This is what the state says we have to do.”

Floyd County resident Dave Huckleberry asked the council members to rescind their financial commitment to the Scribner Place downtown project to help save money.

“We need to hold off a couple of years until we get things under control,” he said. “We can’t keep going to the rainy day fund or (economic development income tax) and riverboat money. We need to stop the bleeding.”

• Floyd County Prosecutor Keith Henderson said he would likely need $350,000 in additional appropriations to pay for the David Camm and Charles Boney murder trials. However, Henderson said he will use $250,000 from the prosecutor’s diversion fund, which means the county will only be out $100,000 more. He said he initially thought the state’s bill would be $750,000 for both trials.