http://youtu.be/fFYxUzIChzQ
The Doña Ana County Commission received their latest budget projections for 2016, and currently there is a budget shortfall. Suggestions for more items in need of funding in the county could impact their decision on whether or not to increase the Hold Harmless GRT Tax.
County Manager Julia Brown outlined 5 areas in the county in serious need of funding. These included public safety items like sheriff’s vehicles and detention center staffing, infrastructure and road improvements, county employee salary increases, operation costs for the crisis triage center, and a countywide transportation system. Brown says the only way to fund these is through a GRT increase.
“You know people are concerned about the increase in the GRT,” Brown said. “Obviously, any increase in taxes is not something that we want to recommend. But, we have another of items that have been deferred for years by the commission, and deferring these things has not made the need for the expense go away.”
Commissioner Billy Garret suggested using reserve funds to pay for things that have an immediate need.
“We’ve tended to be using the reserves as a way of cushioning the projected revenues and expenses,” Garrett said. “But, I think that we can be much more purposeful, and a good examples as I suggested today is I don’t think we need to wait until FY16 in order to begin to increase the replacement of the sheriff’s department vehicles.”
Julia Brown says she doesn’t think that using the reserves is a good way to fund these projects.
“The problem with using your savings account for things that don’t generate revenue is you have nothing to replace that money with once you use it,” Brown said. “You might make exceptions and use it for a one time cost, most of the things we are talking about are not one time costs, they are ongoing recurring costs.”
Commissioner Ben Rawson says he has a problem increasing the GRT tax for things like a countywide transportation plan, when voters decided against that 4 months ago.
“We’ve had the County residents resoundingly in a more than 60-40 vote say no this is not what they want to do,” Rawson said. “We’re going to say that we need it anyway and these voters just don’t know what they need, and we are the all knowing group that knows what they need and obviously they don’t understand what they need, so we’re going to do it for them. And that type of elitist mentality is not something that I could go along with. Mr. Chairman, I think the voters have spoken very clearly, that we need to find a way to live within our means.”
The Doña Ana County Commission will be voting on the Hold Harmless GRT tax increase on March 24th.
