Budget Time for Local Government

Idaho tax receipts for the month of April are down a whopping $54 million less than expected by the folks who forecast this kind of stuff.  Cities, counties and other taxing entities are in the process of figuring out how to spend money and tax revenue flowing to them for funding services and operations.

The following suggestions come from Ada County Commish, Sharon Ullman. No stranger to cutting budgets Ms. Ullman and her two colleagues on the Ada County Commissioners cut 22% out of the Ada County budget this year.

Here are suggestions made by Ms. Ullman of some other places where attention should be focused and savings methodically pursued:

•Consolidate school district administration. Currently, less than half of the public education employees in Idaho are classroom teachers.

•Reclaim durable medical equipment that has been purchased with state funds. For example, once the need is no longer there, we can reclaim and reuse $8000 scooters, provided to people who are disabled.

•Realize greater economies of scale with a consolidated purchasing department for school districts and other government agencies.

•Parole inmates on time to save money. According to a Legislative audit, it cost an estimated $6.8 Million to keep parole-eligible inmates in prison from January 2007 through September 2009.

•Increase use of alternative sentencing. Twenty-five percent of inmates are in prison for drug and alcohol offenses.

•Put the state's checkbook online and let taxpayers help find wasteful spending.

•Use performance auditors to find wasteful spending and assure that dollars are spent wisely.

•Implement a "workfare" program to replace the current welfare system.

•Reduce duplication of effort by consolidating commissions, boards, departments, agencies and districts.