Submitted by Gerry Clare
Roving Reporter
“We asked several local leaders what they felt would be the most important or biggest challenge for 2014? Our first responder was Danny Leeper, recent past Chairman of the Nassau County Board of Commissioners:
“Danny felt that the biggest challenge will be putting together a balanced budget by June for final approval in September. Gathering department budgets and needs will be a big part of that process. There will be public meeting and workshops between now and then.
The next step, of course, would be how to finance various parts of the budget. There has not been a millage increase in 6 years, but even that is up for discussion. We need to make some good decisions for the future way of doing good financial business.
Part of that challenge is to figure out how capital improvements are handled such as the new sheriff’s complex. Second would be how to continue to encourage economic development. Housing sales are up and there has already been some good prep work in this direction. But a healthy economy with a well thought-out financial plan would help to balance the budget .”
Danny reminded me that the whole county budget is not up to the commissioners. The constitutional offices such as the clerk’s, the tax collector, the property appraiser, the sheriff and the supervisor of elections make up $24 to $26 million of the budget, not to mention the separate schools budget.
Editor’s Note: Gerry began free lance writing for fun and is the author of a published book (available on Amazon and at Books Plus) about funny real estate experiences. Gerry is a longtime member of our local American Business Women’s Chapter, a volunteer cancer driver and church deacon who loves to read, travel and meet interesting people.
February 4, 2014 7:54 a.m.