Comments on: Deep Deficits Projected for Washtenaw County

By: Jim Carty

Jim Carty — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:58:04 +0000

Thanks Vivienne and Mary, much appreciated!

By: Stew Nelson

Stew Nelson — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:44:28 +0000

The first step to solving a problem is to acknowledge that there is one! The County and the Board of Commissioners have at least tried to quantify the magnitude of the problem. Cash flow triage is the next step with the focus on “stopping the bleeding”. Reducing headcount (Full-Time Equivalent’s, FTE’s as they call them) is a quick way to save cash. Maybe not the best way however?

Contrast the County’s frank discussions with what is going on in Ann Arbor. Most of our elected officials are still in “denial”. (And I am not talking about the the river!)

Stew

By: Mary Morgan

Mary Morgan — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:03:53 +0000

Jim, thanks for your questions – have you done some reporting in the past, by chance?

The county employs 1,360 full-time workers. Based on Bob Guenzel’s presentation and comments by commissioners, it seems highly unlikely that job cuts would be the only or even the main way of addressing the deficit. I believe that’s why Kristin Judge objected to including them in the report, even as a way of characterizing the magnitude of the projected deficit.

Under the best-case scenario revenue assumptions, the projected budget for 2010 is $101 million, and about $100 million in 2011. That’s down from $106 million in 2008 and a projected $104 million this year. The worst-case projections show a 2010 budget of $96.8 million and $90.7 million in 2011.

By: Vivienne Armentrout

Vivienne Armentrout — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:51:08 +0000

According to material from the administrator’s presentation, the 2008 total budget (both revenue and expenditures) was approximately $106.5 million. In 2011, the total expenditures are estimated at approximately $119 million, with a $28 million shortfall in revenues, or close to a quarter (23.5%) of the total.

I don’t know the answer to the question about employees.

By: Jim Carty

Jim Carty — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:04:29 +0000

And, actually, while I’m thinking about i, what’s the total size of the budget, which would put the potential shortfalls in context?

By: Jim Carty

Jim Carty — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:03:01 +0000

Just curious, what’s the total employment number for the county? That would be useful to put the potential of 300+ cuts in context. Thanks! Jim