Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/112475
IN THE HOLE ALREADY Sarasota City Hall could see fewer employees coming to work next year as part of the effort to balance the next budget. Photo by Norman Schimmel THE CITY���S FORMER FINANCE DIRECTOR AND A RETIRING CITY COMMISSIONER SPEAK FRANKLY ABOUT PROPOSALS FOR FINDING $4.8 MILLION TO BALANCE THE NEXT SARASOTA BUDGET By Stan Zimmerman City Editor To understand government, you have to un- fiscal year starting Oct. 1. That plan begins derstand budgeting, because the money in with a $4.8 million deficit that will have to be the budget pays for implementing policies. In- filled. By law, the city���s budget must be balcreased public safety shows up as an increase anced. in the police budget, Staff came forward for example. When with a rough income there is not enough The current staff is really estimate and expensmoney to go around, stretched. You want to rewrite the zoning es outline to ask the something will suffer. code? That takes a lot of staff time. You commissioners for want more eyes on the streets dealing help in filling the hole. The Sarasota City commissioners held their with the homeless, that takes police. If new city Finance first budget workshop Director John Lege Marlon Brown Deputy Manager this week to develop a (pronounced ���legCity of Sarasota spending plan for the gy���) was expecting