Departments urged to make trims to budgets

Columbia County is looking at $1.27 million in budget cuts needed because Gov. Sonny Perdue has frozen the popular Homestead Tax Relief Grant program.

Officials challenged nearly all county departments at a Thursday committee meeting to trim at least 2.61 percent from their 2008-09 budgets to make up the revenue loss. Those reductions will be debated by the full commission at its Nov. 18 meeting.

"Every one is a little bit different, but it's everything from capital improvements, to printing, to advertising, to general repairs," Columbia County Administrator Steve Szablewski said. "They've had to scramble through their budget to see what could be done."

"There are still some who say it might be reinstated, but I don't think so," Mr. Szablewski said of the Georgia tax grants. "The state is in serious financial trouble."

Mr. Szablewski said the cuts will not include personnel, or services. "We're trying to avoid that," he said.

Though no one will be laid off, Mr. Szablewski said county officials might initiate a short hiring freeze to review all open positions before filling them. He hopes the hiring delay might make up an approximate $170,000 difference between the proposed cuts and the lost funding.

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office proposed the largest cut at nearly $360,000. The office maintains a budget of more than $13 million, by far the largest in county government.

Columbia County sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris refused to discuss budget details Thursday.

"Sheriff (Clay) Whittle and our county commissioners are currently deliberating those issues, but since no final decision has been made, we have no interest in discussing hypothetical situations," Capt. Morris said.

Reach Donnie Fetter at (706) 868-1222, ext. 115, or donnie.fetter@augustachronicle.com.