On Tuesday, July 26th, County Council passed a bill updating the County's budget for 2011. The budget revisions took into account structural changes resulting from the new government, changes resulting from state government cutbacks, and changes in revenue trends. Fortunately, sales tax collections this year are running ahead of projections, and this is helping to soften the blow of state government cuts. Also, the new government structure in which formerly separate offices are now under the County Executive is allowing for considerable savings in administrative cost.
Important new budget items include funding for the new Law Department, the Inspector General's office, and the Office of Regional Collaboration.