News 12 at 6 o'clock, November 17, 2009

AUGUSTA---For the third straight year, Augusta city administrator Fred Russell is saying no to a tax increase. That decision carries consequences.

Each department, from the sheriff's office to community development, is facing massive cuts.

Commissioners were expected to vote on the budget Tuesday. They concluded that they needed more time.

"We are going to have to take some measures that are not liked by the general public," said Commissioner Don Grantham. "That are not liked by the Commission."

Not increasing taxes means furloughing city employees up to 4 days. The city administrator also recommends eliminating funding for Augusta's First Friday events. He would also cut $1 million from the sheriff's office. As we first told you, that means reducing the prison population by $500,000. Keep in mind it costs about $41 to house each inmate. Those furloughs would start next September.

"It gives us about 6 months to look at how the economy is going," said Russell. "So we are not sending somebody home early and then determining that we didn't really need to do that."

"I think it's the thing that we have to do," said Grantham. "We can't keep doing things that we've done in the past with the economic crunch that we are in."

Eliminating funding for First Friday would save the city about $25,000. Furloughs would save the city more than $800,000.