BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Clerk of Courts Denny Thompson told Bradford commissioners last week that they needed to consider budget cuts if they were not going to increase revenue.
“We’re a hair away from appearing in Tallahassee as an insolvent county,” Thompson said.
The remarks came after the board postponed a new fee to fund its fire department until at least next year and a presentation from Finance Director Dana LaFollette on the board’s tentative budget for 2024-25.
LaFollette said if the board took it’s $13.9 million in contingency funding and set aside two months’ worth of operating expenses in an emergency fund as commissioners have requested, that would leave general fund reserves at $6.8 million.
“Just in case anyone was wondering what that meant, what Dana just told you, is that can’s been kicked as long as it can be kicked,” Thompson said. “If you’re not going to fund it, something’s got to be cut.”
The clerk said he doesn’t know what that something should be. According to Thompson, it’s only been a few years since Bradford was flush with cash.
“We had plenty money. We could buy two brand new tractors for the road department at $300,000, $400,000 of what we used to have left over. There’s nothing left over,” Thompson said. “I mean, we’re by the skin of our teeth right now.”
Commissioners had no comment. While they have reportedly met individually with the clerk’s office to discuss the budget, there have been no budget workshops this year to hear department spending requests or consider budget cuts.
According to LaFollette’s budget summary for next year, revenue and expenditures, including all reserve funds, amounts to $75.5 million. This does not include the final figures on Florida Department of Transportation grants, but it does include $2.79 million in grants for fire rescue, the library, community development (SHIP), mosquito control and solid waste. It includes $31.4 million in regular expenditures, plus another $24.7 million in transfers between funds. The final reserve total, including the department-specific reserves, was $16.59 million.
The budget for fines and forfeitures (including law enforcement, jail and court expenses) is nearly $12.1 million, fire rescue (including firefighting and emergency medical services) is $10.5 million, the road department (without grants) at $4.14 million, solid waste is $2.07 million and the library is $1.5 million.
The full tentative budget will be presented at the county commission’s first public budget hearing on Sept. 3.
