The public hearing June 10 on the adoption of Fayette County’s $74 million Fiscal Year 2010-2011 budget was little more than a formality. Commissioners heard no input, pro or con, from the public on the upcoming budget and ended the hearing nearly as quickly as it began.

A $1 million decrease from the current budget is accompanied by a nearly 8 percent decrease in the tax digest and falling sales tax revenues. Local property taxes generate approximately 61 percent of total revenues. Nonetheless, commissioners are not planning to increase property taxes to offset the losses.

Diminishing revenues with no tax increase for FY 2010-2011 translated into cost-cutting measures such as the elimination through attrition of eight full-time positions. That decrease in staff slots comes on the heels of the 21.5 full-time equivalents eliminated last year.

Revenues for the General Fund budget total $45 million, which includes $246,298 in transfers from cash reserves. Special Revenue Funds total $14.3 million, for a Governmental Funds total of $59.5 million.

Revenues for the Solid Waste Landfill and Water System funds total approximately $14.5 million, for a total of all budgeted funds at $74,065,058.

The commission will hold a second public hearing on June 24 after which the budget will be adopted. The FY 2011 budget becomes effective July 1.