At this point, the county’s proposed budget looks bleak.

The current budget includes a $1.45 million gap between expected revenues and expenditures.

This massive gap is due to shortfalls in anticipated revenue.

“You’ve got to close that gap,” County Administrator Ben Pingree told county commissioners at a recent budget workshop on June 24.

Ad valorem revenue is projected to be down significantly because of a lowered taxable value estimated by the property appraiser’s office.

That decrease is nearly $1.1 million.

The county commission didn’t want to cut services or staff and agreed to stay at the millage rate of 8.25.

If the county stays at that current rate, Pingree said he isn’t sure if they can meet a balanced budget.

Pingree said the county has already made $900,000 worth of cuts so far.

“We’re down to live people. We’re down to programs. We’re down to services,” Pingree said.

The county also expects a decrease in jail bed revenue, clerk refund revenue and planning and zoning fee revenue.

The reason for the difficulty in creating a balanced budget also comes with the increases in health care costs of 6 percent. The retirement rates are increasing just 1.14 percent after Gov, Charlie Crist vetoed proposed increases.

The county administration was seeking direction from the board on ways to whittle the budget down even further.

The administration suggested reducing money given to outside agencies, which totals $280,000.

Some of these may be state mandated fees though, Pingree said.

“I recommend you cut this before you cut a body,” he said.

The commission was content on cutting some of the funds given to these agencies, like the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council and the Tallahassee Memorial Trauma Center, but not others, like the Small County Coalition and the senior citizen center.

Commissioner Alan Brock hoped the county could cut as few as possible.

“It’s taking away from the ability of our government to be good,” Brock said.

Another idea was to cut OPS, non-permanent, positions.

According to the administration, there are six positions in the county.

This would cut $61,188 in personnel costs. However, Wakulla County Extension Office Director Scott Jackson pleaded against taking his two part-time employees. Jackson said they had one full-time position and split it into two part-time positions to save money and didn’t want to be penalized for that. Commissioners agreed to keep those two employees.

The administration also proposed county-wide furlough days for all employees, except those in public safety.

The staff would furlough 10 days out of the year, which would save $115,000.

“It’s a very public way of showing we are making cuts,” Commissioner Lynn Artz said.

Another idea to cut costs was by passing on the increased healthcare costs to the employees.

The county is anticipating a six percent increase in health insurance premiums, which will total about $140,000.

In past years, the county has not passed on these increases, but has absorbed them.

The commission asked that both the furlough day option and increasing employee participation in health care contributions be looked at, but only one or the other would be done.

“If you take it from them, it’s a pay reduction,” Commissioner Mike Stewart said of passing insurance increases on to the employees.

Brock added, “That’s a double whammy.”

Currently, the county pays 100 percent of the premium for single coverage, 80 percent for spouse coverage and 75 percent for family.

The commission asked the county administration to look at increasing the employee contribution by 10 and 20 percent to see what it would save the county.

Stewart also suggested looking at the Flex Plan.

The Flex Plan premium is $5,061 annually.

Artz suggested putting differential premiums based on smokers.

“Smokers do incur more health costs,” Artz said.

She added that is would also be an incentive to quit smoking.

Artz also suggested that the county take a more aggressive approach to saving on energy costs, focusing on the highest cost, electricity.

“Take charge of the thermostat,” Artz said.

She added that thermostat policy needs to be put in place that keeps the thermostat at a certain temperature throughout the day. And the temperature should be higher in those hot months when no one is at the office.

“We’re just burning money,” she said.

She also suggested being more aware of gas expenditures.

“The administration needs to be a leader on this,” Artz said.

Chairman Howard Kessler suggested closing the annex and moving that department to vacant offices in the administration building.

In the end, the commission agreed to move slightly higher on the millage rate and directed the county administration to make the suggested cuts, like cutting outside agencies, staff furlough days, increase in employee participation in health care costs, consider a smoker’s policy with health care premiums, set a thermostat policy, eliminate OPS positions and aim for a rate of 8.75.

“We need to make it work,” Stewart said.