By Susannah Bryan | [email protected] | South Florida Sun Sentinel

Imagine a Fort Lauderdale with a $107 million budget deficit and not a dime left in emergency reserves.

That could be in Fort Lauderdale’s future if it stays on its current course, according to a financial expert hired by the city.

Mayor Dean Trantalis dismissed the gloomy prediction as a worst-case scenario.

“We don’t need to take on these doomsday attitudes,” Trantalis told the South Florida Sun Sentinel this week. “We may have to cut corners in some of our programs. We’ll see how the numbers shake out and go from there.”

Here’s what the expert says: Fort Lauderdale could be in big financial trouble in coming years as budget expenses rise and property values level off, warned Kyle Stevens, a managing consultant with Stantec Inc. Stevens shared the grim financial forecast in a recent meeting with the city’s budget advisory board.

For the full story, please visit sunsentinel.com