They met with the county's Constitutional Officers today and discussed budgetary issues face to face.
Two topics in particular took up the bulk of the discussion at today's session. The first of which is the development of the 2009 budget. A list of development principles including how they might maintain the funding of current service levels and an increase in funding of the capital improvement program was agreed upon. Commissioners disussed whether to allow each department to submit its own budget, or they will dictate spending for each department.
"The board will decide as we go through the next budget hearings over the upcoming summer," said Commissioner Rodney Long, "what items we believe are important to the citizens of Alachua County, and then we will fund those things appropriately."
The other big issue of the day was discussion regarding a study conducted by the Alachua County Sherriff's Office which has yet to be resolved. Essentially the study, which first came out in March, compared Alachua County Sherrif's office to other departments around the state and concluded that Alachua County's sherriff personel is underpaid. Commissioners grilled the people who produced the study, asking why some other counties were not included in the survey. The survey team was asked to bring back that information and more.
Discussions will continue at the next budget presentation - tentatively scheduled for July 1st. Five other budget meetings are scheduled thereafter with the last one coming on September 17th.
-Josh Rosenthal, WCJB, TV20 News