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Published June 18, 2018

Is anyone watching the money?

Hernando County's budget shortfall is ever changing going from $6 million to $11.5 million to $14 million to what is assumed a final number of $12.6 million. Who knows the budget shortfall could change again.

Who's watching the money? Certainly not our very well-paid county administrator — $300,000 a year plus benefits. Nor is it the assistant county administrator.

Are the County Commissioners anywhere in sight? Nope, they approved last year's budget that spent $6 million more than the revenues. The county controller made a minor suggestion to maintain a 95-percent tax collection rate rather than a 97-percent rate, but it was only a suggestion.

The budget director was fired for the mistakes, but the upper management who should have been watching the money were asleep at the wheel. If the county administrator and his staff cannot maintain a balanced budget it is time for him to go, along with his deputy administrator.

The county commissioners should also all resign for failing to watch the money and landing the county and the taxpayers in a financial mess.

Anne Kraus-Keenan, Spring Hill