Franklin County cuts $3.3M from spending

Jim Hook

Nov. 6, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Franklin County spending is running under budget.

County commissioners asked department managers and row officers in February to cut 8 percent from their 2009 budgets adopted a month earlier. They are meeting the target, and together through August have cut an additional $3.3 million from the county's $113.9 million budget, according to figures from the county fiscal department presented to the commissioners Thursday.

At the current pace, spending would finish 4 percent under the revised spending limit that commissioners imposed in March.

"I think that clearly reflects on the tightness and leadership of (County Administrator) John Hart," Commissioner Robert Thomas said.

"The idea came from the board," Hart said. "We just implemented it."

Fiscal Director Theresa Beckner said the most significant savings have been in the county general fund, where local taxes pick up most of the tab. Her staff reviewed 10 instances where department expenses differed significantly from budgeted expenses and detailed reasons for the changes.

County managers will need every penny. The state's overdue 2009-10 budget cuts reimbursement of county court costs and mental retardation programs. Funding for tourism and land use planning were also trimmed.

A bulk of the county's budget is spent on human service programs funded by the state and administered by the county: The elderly are bused to medical appointments; slow-to-develop toddlers receive therapy; people with mental illness get counseling.

"We saw the writing on the wall as to no increases or slight cuts and began cutting over a year ago," Human Services Director Richard Wynn said. "We combined that with doing things differently in some areas."

He has been using county tax dollars to match state funds, rather than using them to expand service.

"We have been able to hold to that for this year so far and believe we can for next year as well, if there are no further cuts," Wynn said. "There are large unmet needs in Human Services despite our ability to live within the available funding. We have lost some good programs over the last several years, and there is a large shortfall in (serving) people with drug and alcohol addiction needs. My agencies live with constant concern that the person they turn away from services may become tomorrow's crisis."

County budget managers are more blinded this year than most years.

The county and state budget years are staggered.

The county's year starts Jan. 1, the state's July 1.

County officials still don't know how much money they'll be getting from the state for the last half of the current calendar and the first six months of 2010, let alone the last six months of 2010, which will require passage of a 2010-11 state budget.

The 2009-10 state budget was more than three months late.

Even with preparations for a tight state budget, Wynn said he was surprised by a $33,765 cut in the Human Service Development Fund. Community Services will not fill a recently vacated adult services position and must discontinue a contract with Catholic Charities.

Gov. Ed Rendell is to address the state's current and future budget issues at the fall conference of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania on Nov. 24 at Hershey.

Franklin County Commissioners had considered borrowing money to operate if state budget negotiations went on too long. The county never issued a tax anticipation note or cut services during the state budget crisis.

"We received a significant amount of cash (from the state) in the last month," Beckner said. "We are getting paid. Cash-flow-wise, we're in pretty good shape."

Without having to worry about state reimbursement, the fiscal department is concentrating on the 2010 county budget, she said.

Commissioners have set budget hearings with department heads for Nov. 17 and 19.

A preliminary budget should be available for public review on Dec. 10 with final passage on Dec. 31, Beckner said. The budget must be open to the public for at least 20 days before adoption.

What's next

Franklin County Commissioners continued with plans to build a new courthouse, despite the economic squeeze.

The county starts 2010 with five judges and just four courtrooms.

Commissioners on Thursday adjusted the 2009 budget to include $300,000 to pay Carter Goble Lee LLC, Columbia, S.C., for planning a new courthouse. The suggested alternative is building a courthouse at the former Sheetz convenience store on North Second Street.

Carter Goble Lee also will design and manage construction of the courthouse. Its total fees could top $3 million, based on their contracted fee of 3.6 percent of an estimated $40 million courthouse and $22 million in improvements to the county nursing home and human services building.

The county can pay the fee this year without issuing a bond, Beckner said. It can be reimbursed with future bond proceeds.

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