Additional cuts need made to county budgets

Pulaski County Council members have wrapped up the budget hearings deciding where an estimated $1.6 million must be cut from the 2016 budget but they are not done yet.

The council, along with the commissioners, will be meeting Wednesday at 7 p.m. to discuss where additional funds can be cut.

On Tuesday, county auditor Shelia Garling said the Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) has warned her that about $2 million will need to be cut from the $8.1 million budget.

Garling said she’s been advised by the DLGF that “we’ve spent more than we are getting and that’s the problem.”

Cuts that have been made so far are from the health department, salaries and “overall — wherever they could,” according to Garling.

The health department has cut about $152,000 but was only required to cut about $125,000. The airport is also facing drastic cuts. An estimated $56,909 will be cut from the airport funds. Garling said there just isn’t a place to cut in the airport budget and still have money to keep it open.

Bigger items such as insurance, attorney fees, Social Security and Public Employee’s Retirement Funds (PERF) will be paid for from the County Adjustment Gross Income Tax (CAGIT) budget that is set at $2.9 million. She is also estimating an increase in insurance that could cost the county more than $100,000.

The County Economic Development Income Tax (CEDIT) fund that pays for the justice center payment and the jail lease is estimated at about $2.2 million.