Over one million dollars cut in proposed budget

County Commissioners received a copy of the proposed county budget for 2015-2016, which results in over one million dollars being cut in the county budget. The cuts total an 8.9 percent cut in expenditures. The proposed cuts total $1,014,249 in spending from last fiscal year to 2015-2016.

Hardeman County Mayor Jimmy Sain said the Board of Education had not been cut one penny and, in spite of  a slightly lower enrollment number, the Board of Education would receive the same amount as last fiscal year. The hardest hit departments with budget cuts, however, is the Sheriff’s Department and the Ambulance/Emergency Medical Services.

The Sheriff’s Department budget has been cut by $44,083 (2.43 percent) with the budget to the workhouse (jail) being cut $107, 500 (7.65 percent), totaling a $151,583 (10.08 percent total) hit to the department.

The Ambulance Department’s budget has been decreased by $158,607, with the majority of that decrease coming in savings from restructuring of employee shifts and hours.

The airport budget also decreased from $467,340 to $122,180, representing a 73.86 percent decrease. The airport budget dropped from $467,340 to $122,180, with the largest decrease coming in expenses for the airport manager, which was changed from a full time to a part time position and dropped from $36,540 to $10,000. Additional large cuts to the airport came in the form of airport improvements budgeting with a drop from $320,000 to $8,000.

Additionally the county eliminated donations to Quinco, Carl Perkins Center for Prevention of Child Abuse, Mt Calvary OutReach, Red Cross and the West TN Hearing and Speech center. The cuts in donations to non profits total $18,500.

 A public hearing is scheduled to be held at the Little Courthouse in Bolivar on Tuesday, June 16 at 7 p.m. to discuss concerns and issues. We will have a complete breakdown on proposed cuts and expected revenue in next week’s Bulletin-Times.