Public Budget Meetings Set

The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners is hosting three public budget meetings to gather opinions and priorities from county residents on how to address the anticipated $21.5 million shortfall in the county's General Fund. This will be the fifth year of budget reductions.

To give citizens options for participating in the budget process, the first two community meetings will be held in the north and south areas of the county in March. The meetings will include a budget presentation and citizens' comments in an open-house format to allow residents to speak personally with county commissioners and the county's top administrative staff. Citizens will have the opportunity to ask individual questions and offer additional feedback. The third meeting, The interactive eTownHall: Budget 2012, will be presented on April 6, both on the web and on Pinellas County Connection television.