Indiana

Anderson Cuts $19 Million From Budget Request

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

Saying he wanted to “trim the fat and cut to the bone,”  Marion County Sheriff Frank Anderson tonight submitted a new budget request to the City-County Council, $19 million smaller than his original.

Anderson’s original budget request was more than $111 million.  The most recent was nearly $93 million.  While still $7 million more than what the mayor’s office had budgeted, $85 million, it is still only slightly larger than last year’s total request, $91 million.

Part of the reason for the $19 million increase was part misunderstanding and part overestimation.  Anderson’s  office thought there was a new court coming on line and so his office budgeted accordingly.  In addition several new vehicle purchases have been put on hold.  However a good chunk of the savings came from deferred payments to vendors.

Anderson says his original budget request was put together by his staff and he allowed the division chiefs to make the budget proposal, however he had to go back make sure everyone had cut as much as possible.

Anderson says he is optimistic that he’ll be able to function with the new budget request.  And Public Safety Director Scott Newman says the two sides are very close to reaching a settlement figure to fund the office.  One of the bigger points of contention is the cost per inmate at the County Jail.  The city-comptroller’s office estimated the figure at $107 per inmate.  The Sheriff’s office puts the figure at about $58.

A final vote on the budget will take place on September 22.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on September 10, 2008 (boomark / email).