Citrus commission scrambles to deal with budget shortfall
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INVERNESS (FOX 13) -
The Citrus County Commission met Tuesday to discuss how to make up for a massive budget shortfall.
That's because Progress Energy, its largest taxpayer, says it owes much less in taxes than what the county says it does.
The company paid $19 million in taxes, but the county says it owes $35 million, leaving a shortage of $16 million.
One option commissioners discussed for making up for some of the money was a stormwater assessment. Property and business owners would pay a tiered tax for the amount of runoff that comes from their land.
In the meantime, commissioners have already frozen hiring for several vacant positions, and have scrapped plans to purchase new county vehicles.
