It's Your Money

Presented by the MCTA

Last week we used this column to discuss the hazards facing the County’s economy and how it would affect efforts to balance the 2010 budget. Apparently our unpleasant forecast was still too optimistic. Speculation at the May 19 th County Commission meeting indicated that the budget shortfall for 2010 was now likely to be $28 million not the $20 million that was already proving extremely difficult to make up. Later in the week the County’s Property Appraiser confirmed that values that had officially fallen 10% on average in 2008 and will be down again in 2009. Not only are residential values decreasing, but the closing of numerous businesses will also affect commercial property values and sales tax revenues. A new element of concern is the number of homes and other property now involved in loan default or bankruptcy. They will be subject to short and foreclosure sales or auctions and the taxes due on them cannot be collected on time and probably not at the anticipated face value. Also, as these properties are sold off for loan/tax value or even less, this will likely further depress the price of real estate and therefore tax collections. The sales tax collected on each home sale or transfer will also go down and add to future budget difficulties for all of our governments as well as our schools. The same is true for the various taxes and fees on cars and other big-ticket items.

All of this data supports the possibility, if not the probability, that we do not yet have the bottom of our current economic slump in sight. While we certainly hope that this is not the case, we firmly believe that the more difficult, not the optimistic scenario should be anticipated and budgeted. To do that and balance the budget, all of our government/school policies and procedures need to be thoroughly scrubbed to find the most efficient method to deliver required services. We know some of the following will be provocative, but NOTHING should be untouchable in this process.

The school district has the most employees, largest single operating budget and most capital equipment and facilities.

• Is the current 9-month schedule the most effective and efficient? No company would build and maintain a physical plant and let it remain closed for three months a year.
• Other countries and even US districts have year round basic education. How about a trimester program based on an 11 month schedule? It would save money, offer a more flexible class schedule and help many two-income families avoid childcare costs.
• Could the system be reconfigured to more fully utilize facilities?
• Could the underutilized Jensen Beach High School facility/campus be reconfigured to incorporate one or two lower grades to use its core capacity and reduce the transportation costs of bussing middle school students?

We know that the most costly County and City operations are for public safety.

- There will shortly be four County vehicle maintenance facilities. Could the Sheriff, Fire/Rescue, Schools and other County Services share vehicle maintenance?

- Could the 911 phone bank procedures be streamlined and incorporate City of Stuart requirements?

- Is it really cost effective for every Sheriff’s Deputy to be assigned a personal squad car?

- When 90% of Fire/EMS calls are for EMS/Ambulance service could there be a more efficient mix of vehicles and response protocols?

- Is the 24-hour two days a week shift the most efficient work schedule for Fire/EMS?

- When every fire station has a full kitchen facility why are “food runs” allowed with half- million-dollar fire equipment?

Somewhere between 85 and 95% of all of these entities’ operating budgets are consumed by personnel costs. Salaries are the obvious problem, but perks and benefits are more easily changed and can be even more costly to the budget.

• Can part time employees be used instead of overtime in some areas?
• Can jobs and desired services be saved by recalibrating their health care programs?
• Can they eliminate things like "retention bonuses" banked sick and vacation pay and education supplements for classes that have no relationship to an employee’s current job?

The above are only a very few of the possibilities for saving our County’s essential and desired services without further harming the economy with excessive tax increases. Some may not be practical or even desirable, but a real bottom-up scrub with nothing off limits needs to be accomplished. Things become sacrosanct long after the reason for their existence has gone. The nine-month school year was instituted to let children be available to help with the crops and harvests. The 24 hour shift for firemen came about so they could feed, care for, and.

keep at the ready the horses that pulled the fire apparatus.

We know that some tax and fee increases are going to have to be instituted to keep the services our residents need and deserve. However, they should only be instituted after all practical savings are made. It is a historically proven fact that once taxes or fees increase they are far more difficult to remove since the residents’ desires and government organization will both expand to use whatever funds become available.