Sarasota County improves budget forecast

During a budget workshop, Sarasota County administrators said they had managed the budget well enough that they likely will not have to make any huge cuts in the coming years.

“We’re looking at no significant budget issues in 2012 and 2013,” said Dave Bullock, deputy county administrator.

The county has set a preliminary 2012 budget of $857,716,449, $140 million less than this year’s budget.

“Our instructions to staff were to seek reductions at any cost,” Bullock said.

Some of those reductions were achieved through a Legislature-imposed reduction in retirement rates, a portion of which would be just one-time savings.

But the county is forecasting that property-tax revenues will begin to rise again in 2016.

Contact Robin Roy at [email protected].