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The audience was not sympathetic to this explanation, pointing out that the Board was aware of this before developing the budget and should have cut back accordingly. The -problem of maintaining the same level of services was brought up, and the audience responded that they should be cut back. James Councilman spoke in favor of cutting any increase off at 11%. He believed the Board would encounter less wrath by cutting services than by raising taxes. He stated that all present should go to the School Board and the Hospital District and say the same things. Ms. Radcliff was in favor of drownproofing children, but questioned a cost of $11,000 to teach 600 children how to swim. She was informed that is what the YMCA has said they would be willing to take to make their facility available for this purpose. Paul Margel wanted to eliminate Alco -Hope, the drown -proofing program, the Sheltered Workshop, and Spouse Abuse. Another gentleman in the audience disagreed with eliminating Alco -Hope because people who drink pay taxes on whiskey. Heated comment continued in the audience in regard to going after the State regarding mandated programs and again urging that the Commission set a percentage of decrease to be cut from the Budget. Commissioner Scurlock noted that it is easy to come up with a percentage, but it is hard to make the decisions about not grading roads, etc. Specific figures and percentages were discussed, and it was felt the increase in the General Fund is actually only 70 or 8%. Commissioner Wodtke once again explained that because we have less revenue, we need more tax dollars; however, we have additional new construction that also will be paying tax dollars, and when you consider all these facts, the percentage increase for last year's taxpayers is 13 1 TA -Mi a 0 Boa 47 PAGE 866