Metro departments asked to cut budgets by 7.5 percent

Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 2:29pm
By Joey Garrison

Metro Finance Director Richard Riebeling has asked leaders of Metro’s 55 departments to evaluate the impact of reducing their budgets by 7.5 percent for the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

Departments are expected to hand the finance department revised budgets by Feb. 25, Riebeling told Metro officials at a budget kickoff meeting held this afternoon.

Last year, Metro departments reduced budgets by 10 percent. 

Riebeling and other Metro officials have maintained that nothing is off the table when it comes to next year's budget, including a tax increase. 

7 Comments on this post:

By: wolfy on 1/28/10 at 9:20

This administration may go down as one of the worst in Nashville's history. On one hand promoting a convention center and 10 days later floating the 7.5% budget reduction balloon. Its obvious where the priorities are. And please spare me " The MCC won't cost taxpayers a dime" argument. It has more holes than Ted Rhodes.

By: bfra on 1/29/10 at 5:26

As the saying goes, You ain't seen nothing yet! Karl & cronies will trickle in, a little here, a little there because, they have already shown, they think the taxpayers are easily fooled.

By: bfra on 1/29/10 at 5:29

My councilman assured me he was against this ego shrine and then voted for it. He, as of the next day, was assured, I will never vote for him again or support him in any way.

By: sidneyames on 1/29/10 at 8:30

By: bfra on 1/29/10 at 4:29
My councilman assured me he was against this ego shrine and then voted for it. He, as of the next day, was assured, I will never vote for him again or support him in any way.

bfra, I see what you mean now. I'll undo my other post by saying "I'm sorry".

By: MusicCity615 on 1/29/10 at 6:24

Wolfy- I'm sure your pessimism was used when the current convention center was debated, and it didnt cost us a dime. This convention center is funded the same way, and 4 separate economists (NOT NCP Online posters lol) find the funding system competent.

I think the current administration is great, and I will vote for them again.

By: CitizensWin on 1/30/10 at 7:55

'Last year, Metro departments reduced budgets by 10 percent.' and ... 'evaluate the impact of reducing their budgets by 7.5 percent for the 2010-2011 fiscal year.'

Simple math tells us that this would mean 17.5% less in services over the last 2 years.
Eighteen to twenty percent of less services is not our money's worth.

But by God, let us not touch the most sacred Hotel Occupancy Tax and bundle up that money for Matthews Construction, Tuck-Hinton and the usual suspects that are digging the money pit downtown.

My suggestion is to reduce the Council itself by 20-40%
After all, how many rubber stamps do you need in one room?

By: idgaf on 1/31/10 at 11:56

Over a 17% reduction in 2 years so why are we getting into a billion dollar folly?

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