The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors last week sliced $32.6 million from the $2.2 billion fiscal 2010 budget in the first round of cuts needed to accommodate an expected revenue shortfall of $118 million.
Most of the budget reductions will take effect July 1. The cuts approved last week amounted to a 10% to 15% cut in most departmental budgets.
The county plans to cut $25 million from the criminal justice system in April, but must find another $60 million in reductions by the end of the fiscal year on June 30.
Maricopa officials asked department heads in December 2008 to prepare budgets for fiscal 2010 that incorporate a 20% reduction in spending.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio and county Treasurer Charles Hoskins said they would not provide supervisors with budget reduction plans. The sheriff’s office has a fiscal 2009 budget of about $288 million, making it the largest single operation in county government.
