2011 Cherokee County Budget Balanced, By a Hair

Cherokee County has a proposed budget for this year, without raising taxes, reducing services, or imposing employee layoffs or furlough days.

But for 2012 that could be a challenge.

In his budget presentation Tuesday night, County Manager Jerry Cooper said that reserves, several one-time revenue sources, plus a credit from the employee benefit plan-all used to balance the 2011 budget-won't be available for 2012.

"The county is facing the toughest fiscal challenges in recent history," Cooper said in his budget overview. "Some difficult decisions are going to have to be made."

For 2012, the total estimated shortfall for both the general and fire district funds is estimated to be about $7 million, Cooper said.

When the budgeting process started for 2011, there was a $6 million deficit and Cooper told each county agency it would have to cut 8 percent from its budget.

Having done that already, Cooper said, "we're pretty bare bones as it is."

There are several options to bring in revenue besides raising taxes, though Cooper admitted that was one avenue. Increases in fees and fines is another way.

Commissioner Karen Bosch said absolutely everything would be looked at as a source of savings and/or revenue, except cutting public safety. There are several projects in the county that could bring in additional money, like the airport expansion, she said.

Another possibility that Cooper mentioned was a local option sales tax, or LOST, something voters would have to approve.

The commission is scheduled to approve the 2011 budget at its first meeting in February.

Other highlights from the 2011 proposed budget:

-The proposed annual budget for 2011 is $178.6 million, a decrease of $17.6 or 9 percent from the 2010 budget.

-Employees will receive no raises. There hasn't been an across-the-board raise since 2008.

-The county eliminated 51 full-time and 13 part-time frozen positions.