State: Counties feel stiffed by the state

TALLAHASSEE -Some county commissioners around the state are declaring political war on the state Legislature. They say Florida lawmakers are cutting the state budget on the backs of already strapped local governments.

In a public relations offensive that some county commissioners are calling the "Empty Pocket Revolt," local officials are banding together with an ominous warning: The budget-cutting in Tallahassee will likely come home to roost next year, when Florida homeowners could get a bigger local tax bill in the mail.

"Every time the Florida Legislature runs out of cash, they turn to local governments and say, 'Hey, you pay for it.' We're getting frustrated," said Republican Palm Beach County Commissioner Karen Marcus, president of the Florida Association of Counties. "They (state lawmakers) are telling people they are just cutting, but what they are doing is raising local taxes."

The specific state budget cuts are all still up in the air. But local officials are bracing to spend more local dollars on schools, health care, the courts and social programs -- costs they say are being mandated by the state Legislature.

State Rep. Mike Fasano, a New Port Richey Republican, says the Legislature is doing its best to buffer local governments from devastating budget cuts. But he said "everyone has to step up to the plate in terms of economic impact. We're saying, look, help us out a little here."

Fasano bristled at criticism from county commissioners.

"The last thing we need to do is to be criticizing other public officials," Fasano said.

"I think it's wrong to keep forcing the cuts down to the county level," said Republican Sen. Jack Latvala of Palm Harbor, who is married to Pinellas County Commissioner Susan Latvala. "If we don't have to raise taxes here (in Tallahassee), we're heroes. But we're just fooling ourselves to think that somebody's not going to be paying these bills."

In Citrus County, Administrator Richard Wesch said his commission -- and others around the state -- may consider adding a line on county tax notices next year to tell residents which costs come from programs that the state now requires counties to support.

"Our board sent a letter to the governor after Sept. 11, saying we all need to pull together. Passing these responsibilities down to us, without discussion, is not pulling together. Partnerships are one thing. A dictatorship is another," Wesch said.

The increased burden on local governments, local officials say, comes at a particularly vulnerable time. Counties are already struggling because of a downturn in tourism, which affects the amount they collect from the sales and gasoline taxes. And many counties are racking up huge bills in the wake of the Sept. 11 attack. Fire and police departments are working overtime to beef up security and respond to anthrax alerts. With the jobless rate rising, more residents may be turning to government for help.

"Local taxpayers are being looked at as a cash reserve for the state," said Hernando County Commissioner Nancy Robinson.

With less revenue, county commissions have few options, said Hillsborough County Commissioner Chris Hart.

"At some point, we're going to have to do the same thing that the state doesn't want to do: reduce services for vulnerable citizens or raise taxes," Hart said.

County health departments will be stretched. With lawmakers cutting state programs for poor people with medical problems, county commissioners expect to see a rise in the number of people who turn to county health departments for medical care. On top of that, lawmakers are planning to cut funding to county health departments this year. The county health departments will likely have to serve more people with less money.

Another contentious change is proposed in the state's Medicaid budget. Now, county taxpayers have to pay $55 for each Medicaid patient in a nursing home. The House of Representatives is floating a proposal to increase the county's cost to $140 per patient, a 155 percent increase. If the Legislature makes the change, counties will have to find a way to come up with the extra money.

County commissioners are also worried about the court system. Last year, Gov. Bush vetoed state money that counties are supposed to use to run their court systems -- money that pays state attorneys, public defenders, expert witnesses, appointed attorneys and funds courthouse renovations. This year, lawmakers are proposing to take the money that would have gone to county court systems -- some $26-million -- and use it to plug other state budget holes. Without state money to run the courts, counties will have to borrow from other local programs to keep the criminal justice system running smoothly.

"Somebody has got to take care of the kids, of the elderly, of people who are in need," said Pinellas Commission Chairman Calvin Harris, a Democrat. "The state is leaving it up to us."

Hillsborough County Commissioner Pat Frank has been on both sides of this debate; the Democrat served in the Florida Legislature from 1976 to 1988. For the past three years, she's been a county commissioner. She says the Legislature shouldn't have handed out so many tax breaks when times were good, leaving a lean pot when the economy soured.

"The thing that bothers me is the lack of historic perspective in Tallahassee now," Frank said. "These cuts should have come out of state programs, not local programs. I think the public should be aware of that, if we do have to go back to the local taxpayers to make it up."

Gov. Jeb Bush said he believes the counties are overblowing the situation.

"If you look at this in a comprehensive way, I think you'll find that ... the world's not coming to an end at the county level," Bush said. "I'm not sure they (county commissions) have been challenged in terms of making sure that they are spending the money wisely."

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Lucy Morgan

From the Times state desk