After weeks of haggling and a fair share of bumpy moments, the Baldwin County Board of Education had a meeting of the minds Tuesday evening when members unanimously approved a Fiscal Year 2009 budget. Now Baldwin County can finally move forward with issuing tax notices, and our school system can put this issue behind it — for the moment at least. The time is already approaching to begin preparation for next year’s budget, and the time is now to lay the groundwork.

To finally put the FY09 budget issues to rest, the board must hold three public hearings later this month before the millage rate can be formally set. This is a state requirement for the board, as there will be no millage rollback this year. The hearings are designed to allow local taxpayers a chance to give their input on the millage rate and the budget, which due to inflationary growth and state budget cuts, will mean a property tax increase of just under 2 percent for local homeowners. Beyond this year’s tax increase — which, considering the economic circumstances and the issues that have surrounded this budget, could be worse — the three upcoming hearings are an opportunity for members of the public to voice their concerns in preparation for next year’s budget.

If local taxpayers express their concerns with regards to the school system’s finances by letting their respective board representatives know what they think, it may help to lay groundwork for next year’s budget planning. There have been a number of cuts to this year’s budget, several of which have been met with discussion and controversy among board members. These three hearings are an opportunity for local residents to relay how they feel, whether they agree or disagree with the budget. If there are moves that don’t sit well with local taxpayers, school officials should keep their sentiments in mind when planning for next year’s budget.

The FY09 budget includes more than 860,000 in cuts compared to last year’s budget, and it certainly took board members too long to agree on that figure. We’ve already read and heard indicators that allude to more rough economic times to come, so we must brace for it now by thinking wisely about our school system’s future. Additional cuts from the state level are almost inevitable, so local officials need to prepare.

The makeup of our local school board will change come January, and that coupled with a new superintendent will mean continued transition. But we must not allow that to cloud our vision and keep us from making the necessary preparations.

While the economy and the board’s transition will likely mean next year’s budget will have its share of bumps along the way, we can’t put the necessary planning on the back burner, and local taxpayers need to have their say in the process.

The upcoming public hearings will be held at the board office, 110 North ABC St., Oct. 20 at 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Oct. 27 at 10 a.m. We must urge our board to listen to our concerns because the planning for next year’s budget starts now. Doing so is our best option for ensuring that next October we won’t still be waiting on a Fiscal Year 2010 budget.