Monday, April 14, 2008

Can City Cut Budget, Without Cutting Services? I'm Skeptical

Pensacola is following the lead of Escambia County and will consolidate some of their services to help pay for the Amendment 1 tax cut that was approved by Florida's voters in January.

Today, City Manager Tom Bonfield proposed a plan that calls for job consolidation in city government. The City Council unanimously approved of it.

Mark O'Brien says city residents will, "get their $340 property tax cut and see no major drop in services". Is this true?

Is this round of cuts really going to cut enough of the city's budget? Does this budget proposal cut enough spending to pay for the Amendment 1's tax cuts? If not, won't the city need to start cutting more services to pay for them? Bonfield's plan seems too good to be true.

I hope the newly formed Pensacola Budget Study Group will thoroughly scrutinize Bonfield's budget proposal.

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