Bigelow on lee county budget

http://www.news-press.com/article/20120624/NEWS01/306240045/Bigelow-Lee-County-budget-cuts-Think-big?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CHome

Bigelow on Lee County budget cuts: Think big

Lee County staff wants to forgo steep spending cuts in favor of dipping further into reserves and hoping property taxes will rebound.

While staff at a budget workshop with the county commission Monday will suggest the county spend another $30 million next year from its dwindling savings, it also provided options to cut spending.

The only one of those options staff recommended, however, was slashing the sheriff’s budget by an amount equal to any bonuses his employees might receive, Assistant County Manager Pete Winton said.

But more drastic cuts will be needed to close the $30 million gap, Winton said.

The cuts staff has named include: funding cuts for nonprofit community outreach programs, fewer hours of operation at regional parks, less bus service and a 1 percent pay cut for employees.

Among revenue-boosting options, the county could take 20 percent of the tax that’s used to buy land for the Conservation 20/20 program. Homeowners pay 50 cents on every $1,000 of taxable property to fund the program, which buys and preserves environmentally sensitive land.

Also, the taxes levied against cable, Internet and phones could be increased by nearly 44 percent, to 5.22 percent.

A combination of cost-cutting and revenue-boosting measures, however, would be needed to close the $30 million gap this year, according to the options staff offered.

Commissioner Brian Bigelow said the county needs to close the budget gap by reuducing the pay and benefits of employees. A 1 percent pay reduction and cutting bonuses from the sheriff’s budget, he said, just isn’t enough.

“You can’t quibble with pennies, when your problems are judged in terms of millions of dollars,” Bigelow said. “We can show 1 percent cuts and slashing of bonuses, but it doesn’t get us to the goal of balancing the budget now or later.”

Commissioners John Manning and Ray Judah did not return calls for comment. Commissioner Tammy Hall had just received the staff’s recommendations and was not prepared to comment on them when contacted Thursday. She did not return a call Friday.

For every LE Sgt. This is a perfect reason why we should NOT vote out the union. Each one of us (paying or non-paying) is protected from the BOCC on this issue. All of us at this time are protected by the "Status Qoe" because this DOES affect our salaries and the BOCC can't take away any percentage without our approval.

Second, as you can see MS was trying to slide the so called bonus check which FIRST MUST be approved by the BOCC per FL Statue, as the union has stated numerous times this bonus check was openly accepted by the union without any hesitation. Let's watch MS address this one.

My question is this a plot to give us a (1) time bonus check, knowing that the BOCC then will take back that same amount which in fact would reduce our salaries and pension all for MS to show again he is giving money back and making himself look good at OUR expense?

For every LE Sgt. This is a perfect reason why we should NOT vote out the union. Each one of us (paying or non-paying) is protected from the BOCC on this issue. All of us at this time are protected by the "Status Qoe" because this DOES affect our salaries and the BOCC can't take away any percentage without our approval.

Second, as you can see MS was trying to slide the so called bonus check which FIRST MUST be approved by the BOCC per FL Statue, as the union has stated numerous times this bonus check was openly accepted by the union without any hesitation. Let's watch MS address this one.

My question is this a plot to give us a (1) time bonus check, knowing that the BOCC then will take back that same amount which in fact would reduce our salaries and pension all for MS to show again he is giving money back and making himself look good at OUR expense?

Better not cash that bonus check too soon as you might have to repay it since there is no approved bonus program either in policy or that has been approved by the BOCC. State law (Fs. 215.425) prohibits the payment of extra compensation after services have been rendered (retroactive compensation A.K.A. bonus) unless a properly established and approved bonus program is part of the agency policy or unless the County Commissioners adopt an ordinance providing for a "lump sum bonus program" that meets ALL requirements of Fs. 215.425. Since the sheriff did not ask for a bonus program in the current budget proposal he can't support these "extra" salaries by payroll records as required by statute. This is nothing but a ploy to fight the union effort and to buy your vote, a real slap-in-the-face to people who deserve a raise from a leader and not a back rub fom a politician.

DENVER -- Denver police are searching for evidence as they investigate the fatal shooting of a policewoman at a city park where families had gathered for a free weekly jazz concert.

Police have taken a person with a gun into custody, but it wasn't clear whether that person was a suspect. The park remained closed Monday while police searched for more evidence.

At least three shots were fired Sunday shortly after the jazz band playing on a lake-side pavilion stage finished, sending waves of people running through park grounds. Police spokesman Sonny Jackson says the officer was shot in the head and died at a hospital.

She was a single mother who had been with the department since 2005.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/06/24/2 ... rylink=cpy (http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/06/24/2866463/police-officer-shot-near-denver.html#storylink=cpy)