County begins budget process

The fiscal year 2012/2013 budget workshops for Santa Rosa County Constitutional Officers and the Board of County Commission departments are scheduled for Tuesday, July 24.

The workshop for the constitutional officers will begin at 9 a.m. with the workshop for the commission departments following at 1:30 p.m. Both meetings will be held in the Santa Rosa County Commission Meeting Room, 6495 Caroline Street in Milton.  The public is invited to attend or view the meeting live online at www.santarosa.fl.gov/bocc/meetings.cfm. The meeting replay will also be available at the same link by the next business day at the same website location.

According to Santa Rosa County Administrator Hunter Walker’s budget message, the total operating budget is $98,046,217; a reduction of $1,962,700 from the overall FY 2011/2012 budget. The tentative budget uses no reserves to balance the operating budget and proposes no increase in the millage rate. The county administrator’s full budget message and proposed budgets can be found online at www.santarosa.fl.gov/budget. 

The budget process also includes two public hearings – the first on Tuesday, September 4 at 6 p.m. and the final on Monday, September 17 at 6 p.m. before the fiscal year 2012-2013 is finalized and approved by the board. All meetings are open to the public and held in the commission meeting room located at 6445 Caroline Street. The meetings are also streamed lived and available for replay at www.santarosa.fl.gov.