Government Digest

$33.7 million cut proposed
MANATEE COUNTY — Manatee County Administrator Ed Hunzeker is proposing a $497 million budget for next year, $33.7 million less than this year's budget due to significant revenue declines.

Property value reductions have resulted in a $16 million drop in property tax revenues. According to a county press release, nearly every taxpayer-funded program and activity will be cut.

Manatee County's constitutional officers, including the Manatee County Sheriff, plan to reduce their budgets by about 5% next year. A total of about 100 positions have been eliminated, including 82 positions from the county administrator's budget and about 20 from constitutional officers' budgets.