February 19, 2026 • 6 mins
Marion County Commissioner, Kevin Davidson, joined the show to discuss the $4.5 million budge shortfall for 2026. Commissioner Davidson also addressed the rumors about possible layoffs in the county.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Joining me on the phone today is Marion County Commissioner
Kevin Davidson, and we're talking a little bit about some
of the things going on around the county. Kevin, thanks
so much for joining the show today. I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Thank you, Paul, appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
You know, let's talk a little bit about what most
people are talking about right now around Marion County, and
that is the possible layoffs that a lot of folks
heard about in the last few days that could happen
around Marion County. So why don't you address that question
right off the batman?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Well, first of all, you know said, despite of you,
we are not considering any layoffs to county employees.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
And guess we're currently.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Overbudgeted by about four and a half million for this
calendar year. But again it's not unusual to be over budget.
But we are using our stabilization funds or rainy day
funds if you will.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
To cover that at the moment. And we're still work
with all the looke at officials.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Here in our community to waste a cut, spinning and
bring that deficit down.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Kevin, what's the big reason why we have the budget deficit?
Looking at this year.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Well, that's a great question. It's a big question.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
It all comes down to spending and the last three years,
three and a half years, as a lot of governments,
a lot of businesses, we're getting all this arp of
money or COVID money as if you will, and they
just included that into their regular budgets and we would
hold it, you know, December thirty first, twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
That had to be spent and or appropriated.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
And now well here we are, and that's why we
should have been making cuts for the last two or
three years that we didn't.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
So that's just in the situation we.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Are right because of living the way we did. Now
we have to tighten the belt a little bit. What
are some of the things that you guys, as a
group of kind of commissioners are looking at ways to
not only reduce that four and a half million dollars shortfall,
but maybe even get on the other side and be
able to put some more money back in the bank
like you're using now to get through.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Well, we're definitely not looking and raising any kind of taxes,
that's for sure. And we have sales taxes and I
think we can raise and we're at the limit there,
so that will gn be consideration. And we don't have
legislative authority for income backs, or we can't raise property taxes.
That's all, of course done two levees, and then gosh,
who knows what's going on with the state level and
the property taxes at this time. That's a whole other
(02:12):
problem to look at the end of the future. But
during the budget process, each office brings in a proposed
budget to the Commissioners and we review that budget and
then we either approve it as is or we send
it back. And this year we send everybody's back and said, hey,
we've got to cut at least three percent here, whether
it's supplies, whether it's travel, whether it's contract services, just
(02:34):
find some way to do and all the offices did that,
which helped quite a bit, but it still wasn't enough
to get us down below at four point five million unfortunately.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Okay, so you guys have a budget meeting I understand
coming up in April, where you guys will sit down
and look at where everything is. Do you plan to
make some adjustments in there? How will that meeting take
place and what kind of things could you possibly do there?
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Well, we've never done that before, and I came up
with this idea to say, hey, let's meet quarterly with
all the department of the office heads to come in,
you know, and say, hey, this is where we're at
in our budgets and want to see it if you're
in line with you know, four months into your end
of the year for spending, and then we'll do it
again in another four months.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
And then usually that doesn't happen until October in the.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Past, and people would come in, hey, we're going to
be shorter, we're running low. And see now if we
do this every four months, we can keep an eye
on it much better and say, hey, let's tighten up
a little bit more here, guys, and to get us
under this to the finish line.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Right right right. And if you're looking at a fiscal
ending at the end of the year, October almost seems
to be now it's too late to fix something for
this actual year.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Correct, That is correct, We don't want to.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
That's always when it was in the past, always would
be October when things come in and they'd say, hey,
you're short, or hey we got we're gonna need money
for this.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Instead of that.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Right this way, I think I really think this idea
is going to work. It's going to help everybody maintain
their budget as the year goes on.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Oh right, yeah, before you'd meet in October with that,
you'd already have several other meetings April, obviously, in July,
and then you're already ready to roll into the next year.
So I like that. Let's swing back to the conversation
where people were talking about the possibility of having layoffs
around the county, and you're saying that, you know, that's
not something that you're talking about. Where did that rumor start,
(04:21):
Where did that come from? Or was that just something
that people made up.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
I think I just got it cut of legs, and
now all of a sudden, they got a lot of
juice and the next thing you know, it just it
kind of blew up. So that's how I wanted to
come on with you and other places to say, hey,
let's slow down here. We're not looking at layofs. First
of all, the commissioners can't lay off anybody other than
the people on our own staff, our administrative staff, or
our maintenance people. Every office would have to make decisions
(04:46):
if it came down the more cuts, how they're going
to make those cuts and that.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Would be all each individual looked at officeholder.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
And nobody wants to seep anybody get laid off, because
that's talking about families and you know, you have kids
and everything goes with that.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
We don't want Nobody wants that, right.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Right, And it's good to know that at this point
that's off the table and not even something you guys
are even thinking about with this four and a half
million dollar budget shortfall for a community our size, Kevin
is a four and a half million dollars shortfall in
budget a big deal? Is it a big thing? Or
is it something that you guys are really really looking
at because you want a balanced budget more than anything.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
We always want to balance budget, and I four and
a half million is probably a little bit higher than
we woulould.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Like to have seen it now.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
It's been been different shortfalls in the past, and this
is a little bit higher than we were expecting.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Okay, all right, Well, I guess I guess we'll see
how things progress and maybe talk again after that budget
meeting in April and kind of get an update as
to where things are.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
That's why I will say I want to just reiterate
to that we're going to do our best and we
are still working so hard to striving to be good stewards.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Of your tax dollars here at Marie County.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Love that Mary County Commissioner Kevin Davidson joining us today
to talk a little bit about the budget shortfall facing
Marion County here coming up in twenty twenty six. Kevin,
I appreciate your time today and my friend.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
I always appreciate opportunity to talk to you. Paul. Thank you.
Joining me on the phone today is Marion County Commissioner
Kevin Davidson, and we're talking a little bit about some
of the things going on around the county. Kevin, thanks
so much for joining the show today. I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Thank you, Paul, appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
You know, let's talk a little bit about what most
people are talking about right now around Marion County, and
that is the possible layoffs that a lot of folks
heard about in the last few days that could happen
around Marion County. So why don't you address that question
right off the batman?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Well, first of all, you know said, despite of you,
we are not considering any layoffs to county employees.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
And guess we're currently.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Overbudgeted by about four and a half million for this
calendar year. But again it's not unusual to be over budget.
But we are using our stabilization funds or rainy day
funds if you will.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
To cover that at the moment. And we're still work
with all the looke at officials.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Here in our community to waste a cut, spinning and
bring that deficit down.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Kevin, what's the big reason why we have the budget deficit?
Looking at this year.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Well, that's a great question. It's a big question.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
It all comes down to spending and the last three years,
three and a half years, as a lot of governments,
a lot of businesses, we're getting all this arp of
money or COVID money as if you will, and they
just included that into their regular budgets and we would
hold it, you know, December thirty first, twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
That had to be spent and or appropriated.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
And now well here we are, and that's why we
should have been making cuts for the last two or
three years that we didn't.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
So that's just in the situation we.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Are right because of living the way we did. Now
we have to tighten the belt a little bit. What
are some of the things that you guys, as a
group of kind of commissioners are looking at ways to
not only reduce that four and a half million dollars shortfall,
but maybe even get on the other side and be
able to put some more money back in the bank
like you're using now to get through.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Well, we're definitely not looking and raising any kind of taxes,
that's for sure. And we have sales taxes and I
think we can raise and we're at the limit there,
so that will gn be consideration. And we don't have
legislative authority for income backs, or we can't raise property taxes.
That's all, of course done two levees, and then gosh,
who knows what's going on with the state level and
the property taxes at this time. That's a whole other
(02:12):
problem to look at the end of the future. But
during the budget process, each office brings in a proposed
budget to the Commissioners and we review that budget and
then we either approve it as is or we send
it back. And this year we send everybody's back and said, hey,
we've got to cut at least three percent here, whether
it's supplies, whether it's travel, whether it's contract services, just
(02:34):
find some way to do and all the offices did that,
which helped quite a bit, but it still wasn't enough
to get us down below at four point five million unfortunately.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Okay, so you guys have a budget meeting I understand
coming up in April, where you guys will sit down
and look at where everything is. Do you plan to
make some adjustments in there? How will that meeting take
place and what kind of things could you possibly do there?
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Well, we've never done that before, and I came up
with this idea to say, hey, let's meet quarterly with
all the department of the office heads to come in,
you know, and say, hey, this is where we're at
in our budgets and want to see it if you're
in line with you know, four months into your end
of the year for spending, and then we'll do it
again in another four months.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
And then usually that doesn't happen until October in the.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Past, and people would come in, hey, we're going to
be shorter, we're running low. And see now if we
do this every four months, we can keep an eye
on it much better and say, hey, let's tighten up
a little bit more here, guys, and to get us
under this to the finish line.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Right right right. And if you're looking at a fiscal
ending at the end of the year, October almost seems
to be now it's too late to fix something for
this actual year.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Correct, That is correct, We don't want to.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
That's always when it was in the past, always would
be October when things come in and they'd say, hey,
you're short, or hey we got we're gonna need money
for this.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Instead of that.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Right this way, I think I really think this idea
is going to work. It's going to help everybody maintain
their budget as the year goes on.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Oh right, yeah, before you'd meet in October with that,
you'd already have several other meetings April, obviously, in July,
and then you're already ready to roll into the next year.
So I like that. Let's swing back to the conversation
where people were talking about the possibility of having layoffs
around the county, and you're saying that, you know, that's
not something that you're talking about. Where did that rumor start,
(04:21):
Where did that come from? Or was that just something
that people made up.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
I think I just got it cut of legs, and
now all of a sudden, they got a lot of
juice and the next thing you know, it just it
kind of blew up. So that's how I wanted to
come on with you and other places to say, hey,
let's slow down here. We're not looking at layofs. First
of all, the commissioners can't lay off anybody other than
the people on our own staff, our administrative staff, or
our maintenance people. Every office would have to make decisions
(04:46):
if it came down the more cuts, how they're going
to make those cuts and that.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Would be all each individual looked at officeholder.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
And nobody wants to seep anybody get laid off, because
that's talking about families and you know, you have kids
and everything goes with that.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
We don't want Nobody wants that, right.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Right, And it's good to know that at this point
that's off the table and not even something you guys
are even thinking about with this four and a half
million dollar budget shortfall for a community our size, Kevin
is a four and a half million dollars shortfall in
budget a big deal? Is it a big thing? Or
is it something that you guys are really really looking
at because you want a balanced budget more than anything.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
We always want to balance budget, and I four and
a half million is probably a little bit higher than
we woulould.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Like to have seen it now.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
It's been been different shortfalls in the past, and this
is a little bit higher than we were expecting.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Okay, all right, Well, I guess I guess we'll see
how things progress and maybe talk again after that budget
meeting in April and kind of get an update as
to where things are.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
That's why I will say I want to just reiterate
to that we're going to do our best and we
are still working so hard to striving to be good stewards.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Of your tax dollars here at Marie County.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Love that Mary County Commissioner Kevin Davidson joining us today
to talk a little bit about the budget shortfall facing
Marion County here coming up in twenty twenty six. Kevin,
I appreciate your time today and my friend.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
I always appreciate opportunity to talk to you. Paul. Thank you.
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