Scioto County elected officials and department heads have been warned that there are tough times ahead. County Commissioners sent a letter directing them to prepare to tighten their budgets.
Most county revenue comes from sales tax. With the vast majority of county businesses shut down for almost two months, there’s not been much revenue coming in. Commissioner Bryan Davis says it’s impossible to know exactly how much money the county’s lost but it’s best to be prepared for the worst. “We don’t know what we are going to be dealing with 30 days from now.”
County In Good Shape For Now
Commissioners say Scioto County is in better shape than a lot of local governments. “One of the things we’ve always really tried to do is to live within our means. We’ve always tried to do that. We have carryovers. We’re going to weather this storm.”
While Davis says he hasn’t asked for budget cuts yet, it’s a very real possibility. “We don’t know about funding cuts from the state. We don’t know about funding cuts from the federal government.”
He said the letter asks officials and department heads to tighten their belts and make sure that their budgets are in line. “We’re not calling for a cut. We don’t even know where that’s going to be. We’re not asking for a hiring freeze. But what we are asking for is cooperation and a reminder that we are all in this boat together.”
Working Together
The commissioners praised county workers and officials. Davis said despite the COVID-19 situation, he’d seen no attempts to abuse the budget or step out of line.
“Government is doing their best, just like you are at home, trying to keep your expenses at a minimum. Like you, all of us need to tighten our belt. We’ve been doing that, but this is a friendly reminder. I wanted the public to know that.”
