Dean starts budget hearings Tuesday

By MICHAEL CASS • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • February 25, 2008 Post a CommentRecommend Print this page E-mail this article Share this article: Del.icio.us Facebook Digg Reddit Newsvine What’s this? Mayor Karl Dean will start holding departmental budget hearings Tuesday, about four weeks before his budget recommendations are due. His office announced the schedule today. The meetings, which run through March 5, will be held in the Mayor's Media Conference Room on the first floor of the Metro Courthouse. The mayor's office is asking people to arrive early for each hearing so the door can be closed during the sessions. Dean and his finance director, Rich Riebeling, have predicted a difficult fiscal year ahead and asked departments to propose 5, 10 and 15 percent budget cuts. Riebeling and his budget staff have already met with each department. Dean has to recommend an operating budget for the 2008-09 fiscal year to the Metro Council by March 25. The new year starts July 1.