CLEARWATER — Pinellas County commissioners want to do their part to cut costs to help close an $85 million shortfall in the 2010 budget.
They just couldn't agree how to do that during a two-hour workshop Tuesday.
They put on the chopping block their extra phone lines, their $10,000 travel budget and the copier-scanner machine — with no decisions.
There was no agreement over whether to cut commissioners' nearly $91,000 salaries by 4 percent — or about $3,670 — or about cutting up to three of the seven commission aides.
"It's just really hard for me to justify what we're doing with the people … those who make the county run, and here we try to protect our own," said Commissioner Susan Latvala, referring to the hundreds of county workers who may be laid off because of the budget cuts.
The board's office has a $1.5 million budget, so any cuts will do little to actually bridge the gap. However, the cuts would be a "symbolic" statement to the public, said Commissioner Ken Welch, who pushed for a 10 to 15 percent reduction.
Still, Welch and Karen Seel were in favor of taking the 4 percent pay cuts. If that wasn't possible — salaries are actually set by the state — Seel said commissioners should pay for their own health care. But not everyone agreed.
"To be honest with you, I'm not sure I would agree to cutting my salary," said commission Chairman Calvin Harris.
They plan to talk about it again at a future meeting.
David DeCamp can be reached at ddecamp@sptimes.com or (727) 445-4167.
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