Ticktock, ticktock
The state is not the only one with budget woes.
Baltimore County is facing a $138 million budget shortfall due to income tax and property tax revenues being less than anticipated in the budget that was passed last spring.
The only question that remains is how the county will deal with the shortfall.
That responsibility falls squarely on County Executive Jim Smith and his administration. The council can cut but not add to the budget before it’s approved.
Once the council passes the budget, the executive must make adjustments if things don’t go quite right. And those adjustments must be made before the budget year ends on June 30.
Last week, Pat McDonough, a Republican delegate and potential county executive candidate, called on the county House delegation to hold a hearing on how the shortfall occurred.
So far, Smith has said he won’t resort to furloughs or layoffs to plug the hole. Other than that, it’s not clear what will be done.
Don Mohler, a Smith spokesman, said last week that Smith and county budget officials are “managing it week by week. There haven’t been any dramatic decisions.”
Just 15o days to the the beginning of fiscal year 2011.