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Tuesday, April 21, 2009 10:17 AM County departments cut budgets But heads say services won't be cut By Matt Shaw | Times Staff Writer Wilson County departments are approaching next year's budget with scalpels, not hatchets, and trying to keep the public from feeling the difference, county commissioners heard Monday night. At a special meeting, the county board formally received 2009-10 funding requests from Social Services, the library system and the Health Department, all of which have made 10 percent or larger cuts in their spending plans that start July 1. Ironically, all three department have greater demand for services in bad times. "We have had overflow crowds for our author talks. People are excited about a free program," said Greg Needham, director of the county library system. In bad economic times, people check out DVDs rather than go to the movies. They borrow books rather than buy them, and they flock to the county computers for free Internet service to work on resumes or to search for jobs, Needham said. "It's challenging to do what we do with the staff and resources we have now," he said. To meet the goal of a 10 percent cut, the library is proposing to cut down on part-time hours, he said. The library would keep four branches (Lucama, Stantonsburg, Black Creek and East) on a four-day-a-week schedule this summer and the Elm City branch would go to a four-day schedule, down from five now. The library would also reduce its new materials budget by a third, Needham said. The library will be fine, he said, as long as the county restores the funding in future years. Neither Social Services nor the Health Department is anticipating service cuts, but both will be serving many more clients. DSS Director Glenn Osborne said applications for food assistance will be up 18 percent this year, and both adult Medicaid and crisis assistance case loads will rise by 15 percent. But what has left Osborne "restless and uneasy," he said, has been the growth in child protective services. So far this year, the county has substantiated 121 cases of abuse and neglect. "Families are under stress, under financial pressures," he said. That contributes to possible substance abuse problems, issues of neglect and domestic violence. In turn, that strains the county's foster care system. Currently, 119 children are in protective custody, up from 83 a year ago. Social services was able to cut its county request from $12 million this year to $9.6 million next year, primarily because Osborne anticipates more federal funding. But that relief could be fleeting, he warned. Health director Felix Meyer said his staff serves many of the same clients as Social Services and faces the same rise in demand. The department has cut its overall budget for next year from $12.7 million to $11.2 million, exceeding the commissioners' 10 percent goal, Meyer said. But the Health Department cannot cut many of its services, which are mandated, he said. Nor can it consider clients' ability to pay. Commissioners will hear from three other departments tonight. College and school needs will be discussed May 5. mshaw@wilsontimes.com | 265-7878 WILSON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS continue their budget hearings tonight with presentations from the Sheriff’s Office, solid waste and EMS. The board will hear requests from Wilson Community College and the Board of Education May 5. Both meetings begin at 7 p.m. at the administration building, 2201 Miller Road S. The county’s public hearing on the budget will be 7 p.m., June 2, at the Wilson County Agricultural Center, 1806 Goldsboro St. SW. |
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one thing in mind said...
wilson powers that be, the only thing they care at all about here lately is that dogon Gillette field over there all the business's are closing eevrybody getting laid off, I jut read the bowling alley is closing before it was the skating rink, one thing that's not hurting seams to be Gillette Field, anyone kow why...oh yeah, the tax payers are payin for that with higher light bills, taxes... Wilson is taking all of the attractions that Wilson "used" to have all for Gillette - Wake Up People, this aint Raleigh,Look at it this way. we got Gillette .... No Mall Hardly No Bowling Alley No Skating Rink We do have a movie theatre I took 3 kids to a movie...$75 for 2 hours 30 to get in which isn't terrible but for 1 popcorn and 5 med drinks $34, and you people wonder why Wilson isn't making money, People can't afford to make Wilson make money. Unless you make 40,000-50,000 a year. How about Wilson go down on the light bill or property taxes or water bills or The cable comp go down on rates, phone comp ??? Thats whats wrong with this country. It cost so much to live nowadays most people can't afford nothing else....
Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at 8:21 PM
Get real said...wilson powers that be, the only thing they care at all about here lately is that dogon Gillette field over there all the business's are closing eevrybody getting laid off, I jut read the bowling alley is closing before it was the skating rink, one thing that's not hurting seams to be Gillette Field, anyone kow why...oh yeah, the tax payers are payin for that with higher light bills, taxes... Wilson is taking all of the attractions that Wilson "used" to have all for Gillette - Wake Up People, this aint Raleigh,Look at it this way. we got Gillette .... No Mall Hardly No Bowling Alley No Skating Rink We do have a movie theatre I took 3 kids to a movie...$75 for 2 hours 30 to get in which isn't terrible but for 1 popcorn and 5 med drinks $34, and you people wonder why Wilson isn't making money, People can't afford to make Wilson make money. Unless you make 40,000-50,000 a year. How about Wilson go down on the light bill or property taxes or water bills or The cable comp go down on rates, phone comp ??? Thats whats wrong with this country. It cost so much to live nowadays most people can't afford nothing else....
Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at 8:21 PM
How about we cut funding to the Business Incubator before we hurt the poor.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at 11:43 AM
