Can Dunedin Maintain Services With Reduced Budget?

Dunedin officials say they are struggling to meet basic funding requests with a general fund budget that is $10 million less than it was seven years ago.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, the 2014 general fund budget is projected to be $23.5 million, down from $33 million in 2007.

That is quite a drop, forcing department heads to make some hard choices about city services.

Dunedin Finance Director Karen Feeney presented proposals to commissioners Tuesday to get their response. Her goal is simple: Balance the budget. Getting there may be a challenging task.

The new budget year starts Oct. 1. There will be three budget workshops in July, with a final budget to be adopted after public hearings in September.

The goal is not to eliminate services, though in some cases service levels may be reduced.

One option is to tap reserves from a $600,000 maintenance fund for vehicles to offset some costs to the general fund.

The city also has $4.4 million in reserves in the general fund, though it may need to only have $3.8 million in savings, or 15 percent of its operating budget.

Other Budget News

County Facing $12.1 Million Budget Shortfall in FY14

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