The Citrus County Commission met with the county’s five constitutional officers on Tuesday to begin early planning for the 2010-11 fiscal year budget cycle.

The officials met in the Historic Old Courthouse, and got a situation report from Citrus County Property Appraiser Geoffrey Greene about what’s predicted as a sluggish recovery continues, and what to expect in terms of revenue from local property taxes.

The preliminary Special Budget Workshop was videotaped, and will run at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9 on local TV station WYKE 47, which is Channel 16 on local cable. The meeting will air on Brighthouse cable channel 622 at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9 and on Comcast cable Channel 9 at the same time and day. The county also plans to put the video of the workshop up on the county’s Web site at www.bocc.citrus.fl.us early next week.

In his presentation at the workshop, Greene noted the forecast for the state predicted slow recovery and weak growth in housing starts, employment, personal income and population into the 2010-11 fiscal year, which runs from Oct. 1 to the following Sept. 30. His report shows the state beginning to return to normal or better growth rates in 2011-12, though with the unemployment rate improving slowly.

He noted that the state’s housing market continues to be a hindrance to the growth which is needed for recovery. Greene’s presentation has a recovery timeline forecast and includes analysis of local housing activity, foreclosures, trends in taxable values, real estate sales and practices, factors that will affect the growth of the tax roll and why assessed values of homes go up when values go down. His presentation can be viewed on the property appraiser’s web site at www.pa.citrus.fl.us.

Given early state predictions of revenue declines, it appeared that the county might expect slightly less revenue for 2010-11 than it got in 2004-05, the officials were told. That year the local ad valorem revenue was $54.6 million. On the other hand, it was pointed out, Citrus County has grown by 7 percent since 2004-05, and inflation has increased costs by 13 percent.

As property tax revenue has declined, the commission has used some of its reserves to balance its budget, but it is required to keep 8 percent. It is now at 8.8 percent.

A breakdown of the current budget shows the county commission using 54.5 percent, the sheriff using 34.5 percent, the property appraiser 3.8 percent, the tax collector 3.4 percent, the clerk of courts 2.2 percent, and the supervisor of elections 1.5 percent.

While all agreed everyone would have do their part in strategies for cutting back, such as getting the same percentage they got in 2004-05, some of the officers, like Supervisor of Elections Susan Gill, noted they had already cut to the bone and didn’t have a lot left to cut and still meet their mandated responsibilities.

The commission’s Office of Management and Budget Director Cathy Taylor gave a presentation on recent budget balancing strategies in recent budgets. That presentation will be put up on the commission’s web site with the video of the workshop.

Taylor noted the 2008-09 budget contained an $11.3 million reduction in local property tax levy (14 percent) and showed how the reductions were made. She said the 2009-10 budget contained a $5.7 million reduction (8 percent) and explained the mechanisms used to accomplish that.

She showed how the millage and resultant local tax levy had been reduced, and discussed falling revenue from local property taxes, local sales taxes, state revenue sharing and miscellaneous revenue sources. She showed how per capita spending had surpassed revenues and explained key budget drivers: ad valorem taxes, mandated funding, Florida Retirement System contributions and Medicaid nursing home compensation, as well as $24 million in non-discretionary or mandated spending.

For now, officials will begin the budgeting on estimates of revenue. The official estimate of the assessed property values is due June 1 and then the subsequent official certification of the taxable values that tell exactly much a certain tax rate will bring will be out July 1. The preliminary county budget hearing is July 28, and the final budget must be adopted in September before the new budget begins Oct. 1.

Fast Fact:

• See video of the meeting