By MIKE SALINERO
The Tampa Tribune

TAMPA - Budget cuts next year will eliminate 138 Hillsborough County government positions, with Parks and Recreation and libraries taking some of the biggest hits, according to figures in County Administrator Pat Bean proposed budget released this morning. The jobs are being cut to comply with forced property tax rollbacks mandated this year by the state Legislature.

About 58 fulltime positions will be eliminated in Parks and Recreation, including maintenance workers, umpires, and arts and crafts workers. Library Services will lose between 43 and 44 positions. The county will also cancel constructions plans for seven new libraries.

Other big hits: Hillsborough Fire Rescue will not build a Central Brandon Fire Station that had already been funded with 21 firefighters. The department is also canceling 10 other fire stations that were in the department’s Capital Facilities Master Plan for a savings of $10 million.The fire department will also lose one inspector and one deputy fire marshal. Seven vacant fire-paramedic positions will not be filled.

County Public Works will lose 19 jobs, including wetlands mitigation and infrastructure assessments.

Bean presented the budget to county commissioners this morning. They will have to analyze and decide on the budget within a week, a process that normally takes a month. Commissioners have scheduled two workshops on the budget, Wednesday and Thursday, and will make their decisions about the budget July 31. More public hearings will then be scheduled.

Overall, the recommended fiscal 2008 budget totals $3.68 billion, down 3.7 percent from the $3.82 billion in fiscal 2007.

The fiscal 2009 budget is planned at $3.82 billion, up 3.8 percent from fiscal 2008.

Get Weekly Deals | Write a letter to the editor | Subscribe and get two weeks free | Place an Ad