The fiscal cliff is coming in 2020, and that means more belt-tightening is needed in St. Joseph County government.
Department budgets in St. Joseph County were slashed by 3-percent this year. Now, a budget consultant for the county told department leaders Tuesday that costs will need to be cut by 5 percent in 2018, according to the South Bend Tribune.
If the recommended cuts are made, that means $1.5 million will be shaved off the county’s $65 million general fund, which makes up about half of the county’s money.
Some departments, like the county auditor’s office, won’t need to make those cuts because of extra cuts that were made this year. Three staff members in the auditor’s office were laid off to slash the budget by 6 percent. Others, like the Juvenile Justice Center, will probably be asked to cut its General Fund by 5 percent.
Departments will get letters soon telling them how much that needs to be cut.
2 comments
Gee, I guess you should have STOPPED SPENDING ALL THE MONEY!!! Letting every last red cent you extort from the people just flow through your fingers. But isn’t it such fun to spend other peoples money!?!
Next up…”we’re at the fiscal cliff! We must cut the police and fire department because you peasants don’t work hard enough to support the lifestyle we’ve become accustomed to.” Will they cut anything that won’t hurt the people? Of course not, it must hurt so you will pay.
But I suppose if you keep electing socialists you get the Venezuelan results you asked for. I’ll just be demanding the state or feds don’t bail you out so you can stew in the steaming mess you’ve made for yourselves.
We all know there will be money stolen from us in other ways to make up this fake deficit. Just waiting to see how it will be done. Why do we still have county government? It should be abolished all together. Let our corrupt City politicians steal more of our money to take care of whatever it is that the county does.