The 2007-08 operating budget is the fifteenth budget that I have prepared and promises to be the most challenging of all. There are no surprises or expenditures that we did not anticipate. Our fund balance is healthy. The proposed increase in our budget is not out of line with budgets in the past. What is different this year is that the County Commissioners have given direction to their new County Manager, Laura Blackmon, to prepare a budget that will not require a tax increase to support the operating budgets of the County and two school systems. They are taking this position after increasing the County property taxes significantly the past two years and in response to citizens who attended public hearings last year asking for tax relief. They also understand that property taxes will need to be increased by approximately 3.5 cents next year just to service the growing debt incurred from capital projects for the County and Schools. Furthermore, this scenario will likely play out again next year when debt service peaks; therefore, this financial crunch cannot be viewed as a one time event that will go away.