County Budget Meeting: Residents Sound Off

Sky Burr-Drysdale and her husband Chris Drysdale recently became unemployed. During Thursday’s Pinellas County’s town hall budget meeting at Palm Harbor University the Drysdale’s worried that the county’s $21.5 million deficit would lead commissioners to increase property taxes. 

“If property taxes go up, it would seriously impact us because we’re on a limited budget,” Sky Drysdale said. 

“We understand the money has to come from somewhere,” Chris Drysdale said, but added that a property tax increase would put him in a financial crisis. 

Property taxes make up 65 percent of the county’s general fund. Dramatic decreases in property values caused by the economic recession has slowly dried up the general fund over the past five years.

The county’s 2011 general fund budget is approximately $457 million. In the next several months, commissioners will have to evaluate the budget and determine what departments and services will be cut to make up for the deficit. 

“Being a homeowner, it would effect me the most,” said Temple Ahern, a Clearwater resident, who was one of 101 citizens gathered at the high school. “Everyone wants them (property taxes) to go down but they don’t want to lose all the services.” 

Several citizens at the meeting echoed Ahern’s sentiment. They suggested other ways to cut back, such as charging fees to use libraries and parks and cutting back on overlapping positions and departments. 

Waldense D. Malouf, a retired lawyer and Palm Harbor library volunteer, shared his list of suggestions with commissioners and county officials. 

“Listen up,” he said, “This is what they need to do.”

Cut back on school administrators and positions that overlap, he said. “There are too many chiefs and not enough Indians.” 

The same idea, he suggested, could be applied to the county’s administration and environmental department. He also suggested getting rid of the code enforcement department. 

“Leave it to the citizens to call and make complaints,” Malouf said.

Shawn Califf came to his first town hall meeting with an open mind. His concern was public transportation. Califf is one of hundreds of Pinellas County residents who became unemployed. 

Califf is banking that commissioners will leave public transportation out of the mix. On a long shot, he’s hoping that commissioners would invest more into the county’s public transportation. 

The bus, “Is good but can be better,” Califf said.

If the county cuts back on buses, his already long commute will make getting back on his feet that much more difficult. 

When Califf was employed, the 10-mile work commute from Palm Harbor to Dunedin took one hour each way. 

“It shouldn’t take that long,” Califf said. 

“With gas prices going up, people can’t afford gas. They are relying on public transportation,” Califf said.

Other citizens asked commissioners and county administrators about cuts to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office’s budget, which takes about 50 percent of the general fund money. The Sheriff’s Office received $220.5 million in 2011. This amount comes from the general fund.

“We’re in the middle of a recession. There’s a lot of crime going on. Do you really want to cut back on public safety?” said John Woodruff, the county’s budget and management director. 

The county will have another town hall budget meeting on March 15 in St. Petersburg, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Dixie Hollins High School, 4940 62nd St. N.