The Economic Crisis: Ten Budget Initiatives

 

An amazing challenge is on the horizon for all elected officials across our community, our state and nation. That challenge is dealing with the reality that the national economic crisis and signs of recession have arrived here in Johnson County. The question is not just how we respond to this challenge, but also how do we take advantage of this opportunity to be more fiscally accountable.

 

Over the last several years, we have been one of the fortunate areas of the state that have enjoyed steady growth in population, a boom in housing and commercial properties, and property valuations on the rise. Interest rates on public debt have been reasonable and manageable. While living within state mandated caps, our growth has allowed us to enjoy the ability to manage our budgets with ease, saying yes more than no to requests for more staff, and more governmental programs and services. We all have responded well to major flooding that inundated our community and we dealt with one of the worst winters on record. With strong strategic planning, our county has invested your dollars in major building and technological infrastructure projects to meet our needs for the next several decades. The times have been good, our employees have done an exceptional job and the wide array of services has never been better.

 

The times however are changing. The prospect of declining property values, housing foreclosures, higher interest rates and inflation, and revenue shortfalls, combined with residents who have lost their pensions or jobs, and the general increase in the cost of living will all mean an attitude adjustment in how much we tax and how we manage our government. It will also provide our leaders an opportunity to take a closer look at what are our priorities are, to implement budget cuts and downsize in areas that we no longer can afford. I suggest the following ten initiatives for the upcoming Fiscal Year ’10 budget and likely for Fiscal Year ‘11:

1. Freeze all county operational expenses, including vehicle and technology expenses, at FY ’09 levels with limited exceptions for fuel, postage, utilities and emergency expenditures.

2. Initiate a series of strategic policy priority meetings with the public to identify top spending priorities. Limit new programs unless offset with the replacement of existing programs.

3. Pay down existing debt and complete all planned building infrastructure projects. Any additional projects and maintenance will need to be deferred that go beyond the FY ’09 funding level. Do not stop the planning process or study of a new Justice Center; but consider a phased in approach.

4. Continue to meet the needs of county employees and agreements made in collective bargaining.  Implement a freeze on hiring new employees unless the position is cost neutral, and review procedures for potential employee sharing, early retirement, layoffs or furloughs.

5. Review public office hours, identify potential waiting lists for services and service delivery cutbacks and determine contingent plans if further budget cuts are necessary.

6. Review fees, enhance revenues and diversify funding streams.

7. Identify fuel efficient and cost effective energy savings and sustainability strategies.

8. Ask the Joint Emergency Communication Center Board to stay at or below its FY ’09 tax levy for funding of the Joint Communications Center, radio towers and employee expenses; ask other boards and commissions that receive county dollars to also live within their FY ’09 budget levels.

9. Work with state and federal officials to stop unfunded mandates passed on to local government.

10. Ask local leaders to follow the county in prioritizing services, limit tax increases and promote and encourage intergovernmental collaboration and cooperation.

The reality is that Johnson County, like governments all across the state and nation, are facing the potential of a financial crisis. As leaders, it is important that we not only hear from our residents, but that our government is proactive in responding to this challenge. The time is now to take advantage of this opportunity to prioritize what government ought to be providing for you.