Looking Back: County's budget woes and how we got to recent job cuts

On October 15th the News-Herald ran an article in which the Commissioners asked Department Heads to work together to reduce the budget by 7% - 12%, and that they instituted a "soft hiring freeze. See the article here. The article said layoffs would be avoided at all costs. Furthermore, the Commissioners wail and gnash teeth at the fact that property tax collections are down due to sinking property values and sales tax collections are down.

Fast forward to November 18th: the commissioners informed us in a News-Herald article that the sales tax collections were down about 6%. See the article here. Even with massive federal government spending to encourage car purchases...car sales through October were no help!

Yikes! Sounds like we are being set-up for a sales-tax increase, or another property tax increase!

Guess at all costs lead to layoffs!

Fast forward to November 25th: the News-Herald reported that Sheriff Dan Dunlap will layoff 14, close a jail, and scale back court house security. See the article here.

Then, yesterday we learn more layoffs are taking place at the Sheriff's Office and in the Prosecutor's Office. See the article here. Two road deputies from the Sheriff's Office, three attorneys and secretaries from the Prosecutor's office got pink slipped.

I applaud the Commissioners for cutting the budget. Seriously, thank-you. But, why does it always happen at the expense of safety forces? No room to scale back in the utilities, engineer's office, etc.?

I would like to here what else people think could be cut in Lake County.