For years, critics of Fulton County have said it spends too much and should cut funding for discretionary programs. They may soon get their wish.
Faced with a $113.6 million budget deficit heading into 2014, Fulton officials are considering cuts to libraries, arts programs and other services. Senior administrators have outlined proposals to shift the cost of some of those services to local cities, which could decide to offer them or not.
Decisions are likely months away. But the proposals already have met with skepticism – both from critics of county spending and from those who doubt Fulton’s financial situation is as dire as administrators say.
“To cry now, when you have not acted” on budget deficits “all these years, to me it rings hollow,” said Johns Creek Mayor Mike Bodker. “I hope Fulton County uses this opportunity to reinvent itself and to come out of it a stronger, better government for all of us.”
Fulton County’s budget has long been debated, with Republicans calling for steep cuts and Democrats defending what they say are vital programs. The Republican-controlled General Assembly this year passed a slew of measures affecting county operations, including bills prohibiting commissioners from raising property taxes and making it easier to fire employees.
via Fulton may cut spending to close $114 million deficit | www.myajc.com.
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