APPLIANCE REPAIR
Kelly Appliance & Vacuum 931-244-7200
AIR CONDITIONING
D.E. Hill & Son 762-9584
ASSISTED LIVING
Summit of Lawrenceburg 762-3524
AUTO REPAIR
Chapman Tire 931-829-2155
BANKS
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CLINICS
One Stop Medical 762-9797
Seven Springs Orthopaedics 244-7181
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Nerd's Computer Repair
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Rick's Electrical & Plumbing 931-242-5325
ELECTRONICS
Lynn Electronics 762-0401
E CIGARETTES
FLORIST
Accents Floral & Gifts 244-6480
Lawrenceburg Florist 762-3722
McKelvey's Flowers 762-4511
FUNERAL HOMES
Pettus-Turnbo Funeral Home 762-3291
FURNITURE
Green's Furniture
Swap & Shop Center
GLASS REPAIR
Lawrenceburg Glass 766-1004
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HOBBY
INSURANCE
Aarons Insurance 931-629-8065
Baker Agency 762-4550
Markus Insurance 762-9401
Wall-Modrall Insurance 762-6528
JEWELRY
Dixon's Fine Jewelry 762-9979
LAWN CARE
MEDICAL
Seven Springs Orthopaedics 244-7181
NATURAL FOODSNature's Nuggests 762-2895
OUTDOOR
Randy's Cycle & ATV 762-2450
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The Mad Hatter's Party Wonderland 931-244-7222
PAWN
Mo's Pawn Shop 762-2529
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Diamond Pools & Spas 762-7189
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RENTAL
RESTAURANTS
Sue Sue's Sandwich Shop 762-8879
SPORTING GOODS
Fox Sporting Goods 931-766-0313
TRAVEL
Wednesday, July 1, 201
County Executive On Solutions To Counties Financial Problems
The last few weeks I have talked about the financial problems facing our county. There are three possible solutions: raising more revenue; cutting expenses; or a combination of the two.
We’ve discussed the first scenario and the options that are available. Today I’d like to look at the second alternative and its ramifications.
When people talk about cutting expenses in government, many think the answer is to eliminate employees. We did say no to new staff positions requested in preliminary budgets (part of $998,130 cut from department proposals), but otherwise our offices would be cutting meat and bone, not fat.
County offices serve the public, so think about the services you use. Do you buy your car tag at the County Clerk’s office or get your child’s immunizations from the Health Department? Do you borrow books from the Library or take truckloads of trash to Solid Waste? Imagine the delays and problems understaffing in those agencies would cause, or even worse, at the Sheriff’s Department or Ambulance Service.
I’m not trying to use scare tactics, but just point out the reality behind a common misconception. Even if we did cut employees to the point of hurting services, it would still only dent the budget problems before us.
Our last tax increase was in 2006, when Commissioners were forced to raise funds to build a new jail. Before that happened, conditions at the jail had been allowed to deteriorate to the point that state officials shut it down. We don’t want to get to that point with other county services.
In addition to that larger jail’s administration, which was not funded by the 2006 tax increase, the county has taken on additional unfunded services. School Resource Officers (SROs) at every school is just one example, and it alone is a $700,000 annual expense shared by the school system and county government.
Some have suggested that we simply “do what we did last year.” Last year’s budget depended on department fund balances to survive, just like the year before that, the one before that, and the one before that. Lawrence County can’t support another year of deficit spending.
My job is to present options to the County Commission. The 18 men and women who represent you will approve the 2015-16 budget, and they have some tough choices before them. Leadership requires hard decisions, and unfortunately, the right ones are rarely popular.