Following its workshop meeting today (Feb. 1) at 3:30 p.m., the Fayette County Commission will begin the first part of its annual planning meeting, commonly referred to as the commission’s “retreat.”

It is estimated that the retreat will begin about 4:30 p.m. and last for at least three hours.

County staff will present detailed information about the county’s financial outlook for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts July 1.

The public is invited to attend the planning meeting, which will be held in the commission’s conference room at the county’s administrative complex at 140 Stonewall Avenue West in downtown Fayetteville.

The commission is expected to hear a financial review of the county’s general, fire and EMS funds, the impact of property reassessments to the tax digest, and the various cost-saving initiatives undertaken by the county in light of decreasing property tax revenues.

The county will also look at its capital improvement and vehicle and equipment replacement programs, its tax millage rate history and also at proposed budget policies for the coming fiscal year.