County warns of budget pitfalls

As Sarasota County begins its budget discussions for the 2010 fiscal year, County Administrator Jim Ley issued a warning.

“We can’t continue funding shortfalls with additional funds in the coming years, without an increase in revenue or a reduction in expenses,” said Ley.

With estimated 2010 expenditures of $262 million and revenues of $227 million, the county will once again use additional funds, such as fuel savings and lower-than-estimated spending in 2009, to offset the expected $35 million shortfall.

Ley expects the next several years to also have expenditures higher than revenue.

“The expectation that service levels can be maintained is not a realistic expectation,” he said. “Service levels will need to be redefined or additional revenues will need to be developed.”

Nine county departments are presenting a lower budget than last year. Eleven have higher budgets. Five departments have budgets that are flat or changed by less than $1,000.

The $981 million budget is $114 million less than this year’s budget, but the county will rely on more efficiently operating each of its departments instead of more layoffs to achieve those savings.

FY2010 county budget details

Department                                    FY'10                         FY'09

Mobility operations                          $16,801,386                $19,254,507

Public transit                                    $24,455,578                $23,706,454

Capital management services        $7,127,809                  $7,127,809

Health and human services            $23,353,481                $24,737,650

Planning and development             $40,608,947                $33,265,056

Libraries                                           $11,590,545                 $11,590,179

UF/IFAS extension                           $1,038,747                  $1,112,827

History center                                  $468,856                     $468,925

Parks and recreation                       $19,516,065                $19,267,566

Emergency management                $1,790,119                  $1,785,621

Fire services                                    $34,480,113                $33,864,213

EMS                                                  $38,652,099                $37,083,288

Public safety communications      $4,287,031                  $5,005,068

Lifeguards                                        $2,362,828                 $2,362,723

Facilities services                           $7,915,233                 $8,046,352

Facilities maintenance
and custodial services                   $6,651,880                 $6,842,437

Horticulture services                      $6,950,929                 $6,987,234

Operations
and maintenance field services     $18,978,533               $21,952,169

Fleet services                                  $26,900,948               $26,900,948

Stormwater                                      $18,148,361               $18,004,886

Utilities                                             $92,519,349               $97,369,211

Water resources                              $1,060,149                 $1,450,401

Solid waste                                      $42,303,445               $44,748,809

Natural resources                           $12,807,479               $10,155,126

Human resources                           $2,994,510                 $3,112,529

Strategy management services     $169,502                   $376,492

Enterprise information
technology                                      $16,313,910              $16,886,562

Financial planning                          $54,103,777              $52,818,105

Communications                            $3,940,490                 $3,850,317