The Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission kicked off budget season with a presentation from the county’s manager on Tuesday.
County Manager Bob Cowell presented his priorities for this year’s budget during a meeting which in previous years was called "Big Rocks." Cowell said he expects the county will have to spend some of its rainy-day reserves, called the fund balance.
“This is probably the last year we can rely on this as way in which we can address those general capital [needs],” Cowell said. “We’re at a point where we can’t go into the fund balance any further.”
Cowell said he’s worried about the local government’s revenues, which he says are growing but not at a pace that matches expenditures.
The Commission will pass the budget in early June.
