But serious storm clouds are on Durham County's budget horizon, and County Manager Mike Ruffin clearly wants time for the unpleasant realities to sink in. Getting a head start on the decisions may not make them one bit easier, but the Board of County Commissioners will at least have plenty of time to wrestle with painful choices.
The depth of the county's budget dilemma stems from several converging factors.
One, of course, is the continuing impact of a recession that has eroded the county's tax revenues. Another is the impending increase in the county's debt payments as some major bond-funded projects get underway. And this fiscal year's budget was balanced in part by some one-time maneuvers that won't be available as next year's takes shape.
All in all, Ruffin and his staff expect anticipated revenue to be almost $15 million -- or more -- short of what would be needed to fund a budget sustaining county operations without any reductions.
With almost a nickel increase in the county's property tax rate needed to close that gap, Ruffin sees this potential set of options: "a fairly substantial increase in taxes" or "catastrophic" reductions in county services.
There's likely to blood on the floor, figuratively speaking, as commissioners wrestle with those choices or, most likely, some combination of the two. Many groups impacted by this year's budget parsimony already are feeling stretched.
Durham Public Schools officials, who fought hard against the county's budget cuts last year, are likely to be even more in the cross-hairs next spring. School construction plans are part of the reason for that escalating debt, and the commissioners have shown considerable skepticism about how well the schools' are managing their money.
At the same time county taxpayers are increasingly restive over a rate already seen as high -- at a time when many of them are feeling a pinch in their own household budgets.
In fact, the difficult financial straits of some county residents are reflected in yet another dent in the county's revenues -- some $1 million in property tax payments are tied up in foreclosure proceedings.
It was with some understatement that Ruffin told the commissioners last week that "next year's budget is going to be a very difficult budget." He and the commissioners are smart to be starting the budget conversation, not only for their own benefit but also to begin giving the county's citizens a chance to ponder and speak out for or against the emerging solutions.
We suspect many will -- and should -- seize that opportunity.
