Fayette County's

former finance director doesn't think much of the county's new budget.

A plan to reduce

the county's savings in order to pay off the debt on the County Administrative

Complex is "not fiscally responsible," said Emory McHugh, who

resigned his post late in 2000 to take on the job of shepherding finances

for the new Georgia Regional Transportation Authority.

"Expenses

are going to be happening [in] the future that you guys are not going

to be funding," McHugh told the County Commission during a public

hearing on the budget last week.

During McHugh's

seven-year tenure as finance director, Fayette won numerous state and

federal awards for the quality of its financial reporting.

"I'm a

little bit concerned about this budget," he said.

He also chided

the commissioners for turning down a request from the Department of Fire

and Emergency Services for programmed additions to its "manpower

squad," aimed at improving response times to fires and emergency

medical calls.

"The losses

on property have been increasing over the years," said McHugh, adding

that the $187,000 cost could be made up by saving "just one property

in the county."

He praised

plans to instigate a five-year capital improvement plan as part of this

year's budgeting process, but complained that plans to spend $350,000

for new software are wasteful. "This one [software package] works

pretty well," he said.

Commission

Chairman Greg Dunn thanked McHugh for his input, but showed no signs of

being persuaded. "There are some philosophical differences in the

way you used to do things and the way some of us want to," he said.

Commissioners

also heard from Ginger Blackstone, upset that funding for Keep Fayette

Beautiful was cut from the budget.

"I'm stunned,"

she said. "I really feel like I've been slapped in the face."

Commissioners

voted last week to axe the $25,000 budget for the organization, saying

the program hasn't grown and hasn't accomplished as much as hoped. "We're

just not getting much bang for the buck," said Dunn.

He said the

commission would reconsider funding for the group if its leaders can get

more supplemental funding from other local governments and community organizations.

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