The Citrus County Property Appraiser and the Citrus County Commission have executed a unique interlocal agreement designed to reduce the county budget.

To trim the cost of running his office, Citrus County Property Appraiser Goeffrey Greene approached the county commission back in January about partnering on Human Resource Department functions.

Under the agreement, Greene will use the county commission's Human Resources Department to advertise and screen employees for the appraiser's office.

As the property appraiser, Greene is an elected constitutional officer separate from the county commission, but his budget is part of the overall county budget, and it is funded by the part of the county budget supported by local property taxes.

Greene felt the human resource needs of the property appraiser's office were intermittent and did not justify the former staffing levels. "Why not consolidate and let those with specialized skills perform common tasks?" he asked.

Greene's overall reductions in his first budget exceeded $230,000, and the partnership accounted for 30 percent of that savings. A staff of less than 60 simply could not justify two Human Resource staffers, he felt, and the partnership allowed him to cut that staff in half.

His office will continue to retain its own employee records, and attend to the daily benefits issues and other operational HR issues which arise concerning employees.

The county commission enthusiastically approved the agreement at its March 24 meeting, noting it hoped more such partnerships could be worked out with constitutional officers.

Greene said he feels it is important for all elected officials to look for these opportunities to save and to act on them.

Serving his first term after being elected in November, Greene said he continues to seek creative ways to effect other cost-cutting measures. He said another area under discussion is a payroll processing partnership with another constitutional office. "We hope to enter into an interlocal agreement with the Clerk of Courts to handle this task for my office," Greene said.

As for more savings, he said, "The taxpayers deserve nothing less. We need to look under every rock for ways to do things more efficiently."