Maricopa County supervisors last week unanimously approved a preliminary $2.3 billion budget for fiscal 2009, an amount just 0.4% higher than fiscal 2008.
The budget includes $42.5 million in cuts for county departments through elimination of unfilled jobs, reductions in programs, and overall belt-tightening, according to deputy budget director Christopher Bradley. He said the county will cut another $56 million from non-departmental budgets by reducing spending on infrastructure projects.
Bradley said $16 million will be saved through lower debt service payments by taking $54 million from the budget stabilization fund to pay off outstanding debt.
Another $1.8 million will be saved by eliminating contract lawyers in the Maricopa attorney’s office and the public defender office.
The county has eliminated 438 full-time employee positions — most of them vacant — in the past year.
