Monday was St. Patrick’s Day, and on Tuesday the Augusta Commission found no pot of gold or enough four-leaf clovers to balance the budget or keep the city from going broke in a few years.
And there were no lucky charms to be found when the subject of exempting the sheriff’s office from the 2.4 percent across-the-board budget cuts came up.
At the previous meeting, commissioners had directed interim Administrator Tameka Allen and Finance Director Donna Williams to find money to keep the budget balanced as required by law and exempt the sheriff’s office from the 2.4 percent cut, which would be about $900,000 in real money.
All departments had been asked to identify how they’d make the cuts. Most had responded. Tax Commissioner Steven Kendrick plans to furlough employees and close tax offices for six days. The Richmond County Correctional Institution agreed to eliminate two full-time positions. Recreation would eliminate eight full-time employees, two part-time employees and count on the Patch golf course being privatized by mid-year.
Sheriff Richard Roundtree sent a letter stating Georgia courts have ruled that commissions can’t cut a sheriff’s budget to the point where he can’t do his job, an opinion the sheriff delivered in person Tuesday.
Comments ( 0 )