Effingham County commissioners have approved their fiscal year 2011 budget — complete with a cut in library funding that has drawn widespread criticism.
The FY11 budget is set at $28.2 million for the general fund and $23.8 million for the special fund. The FY11 general fund budget is 5.2 percent smaller than the FY10 budget of $30 million, and county staff anticipates a 6 percent decrease in revenue. The county anticipates collecting $166,000 less in property taxes this year than last year.
Public safety accounts for more than $11.8 million in the FY11 budget, with health and welfare receiving $5.4 million, development receiving $4.75 million, general government accounting for $4.6 million and the courts getting $2.6 million.
But the $31,600 reduction in funding for the library — taking the county’s contribution to the library system from $316,000 to $284,400 — drew the most ire. The Effingham County Board of Education, which provided $360,000 in funding to the library, has chopped its contribution to $180,000 for the coming fiscal year.
Commission Chairman Dusty Zeigler said commissioners and county staff have met several times with library, Effingham County Board of Education, Savannah Technical College and Coastal Workforce Services representatives on the libraries’ future.
“Efforts are being given and ideas are being discussed for the library’s future,” he said. “It is not an item that is being pushed off or being thrown away. Please don’t think we’re ignoring the library or trying to get rid of the library.”
Sharon Hamilton led a petition drive to sway the commissioners to restore the library’s funding and collected more than 1,200 signatures.
“In circulating this petition, I found a lot of unhappiness among our citizens, especially in light of the recent school board cuts,” she said. “Our libraries have been crippled. And our citizens simply feel that enough is enough.”
Hamilton also criticized Zeigler’s call for library performance measures, such as literacy rates, calling them “preposterous. It’s absurd.” She also said it’s hard to measure the impact on the quality of life from the library.
Hamilton also noted that the recreation department’s budget for FY11 is more than $1 million.
“Our libraries should have the same opportunities to vie for county tax dollars,” Hamilton said.
In response to its funding being slashed, the Live Oak Public Library System, which operates the Rincon and Springfield branches, has cut the Rincon branch’s hours from 60 hours a week to 37 and the Springfield branch hours from 52 hours a week to 25.
Robert Bendetti, an accountant, said he appreciated the work put into putting together the $28.2 million budget but also asked for more support for the library.
“I treasure the services provided by the library,” he said.
Pastor Jose Velasquez said growing up in Los Angeles, he didn’t have the opportunity to read and now he has a child who loves to read.
“I urge you to please reconsider,” he said. “I know money’s tight and times are hard. I know you guys are doing a hard job. But please don’t take away our future. That’s a place where they can learn and be better and even to escape some of the ugliness we have in this world.”
County commissioners had asked for every department to undertake a 10 percent cut in preparing the FY11 budget.
Property tax revenues are expected to fund approximately 50 percent of the county’s FY11 budget, and the local option sales tax is expected to fund about 20 percent. In 2008, property taxes accounted for 53 percent of the county’s revenues and the LOST accounted for nearly 25 percent.
County finance director Joanna Wright said they have seen an increase in sales tax revenue but the county has budgeted conservatively.
The county’s percentage of the property tax bill is about 30 percent for those in the unincorporated areas, down from 33 percent in 2005.
Commissioners also held their first public hearing for a county millage rate of 8.588. On a home valued at $100,000, the county’s portion of the property taxes will be $342.
Last year’s millage rate was 8.53 for the county.
The FY11 budget will go into effect July 1.
