Budget Committee Decision

The Budget Committee is made up of Commissioners Wilburn (chairman), Woodard, Adams, James Harwell, Howell, Campbell and Jackson. Mrs Vanzant as usual is an ex officio member.

This committee has met on four different occasions to discuss and make decisions about the adoption of the county budget for 2010-2011.

After four meetings and much discussion the decision was finally made to send the budget to the full commission without a recommendation. There were efforts to identify and cut but no agreement could be reached.

It has been made very clear that after several years of adopting budgets that spent more than a million dollars over what the revenues were until now the county has less than a million dollars left in reserves.

While most on the committee agrees that the school budget is bloated and unreasonable they feel powerless to do anything about it. Most commissioners have refused to show any leadership and cut their own $52,000.00 budget. Over $60,000.00 is budgeted for travel which is much less that the $107,000.00 budgeted for travel by the school system but there is not a majority willing to cut even a dollar off these outrageous amounts.

So with no willingness to cut anything what is the solution. Commissioners Campbell and Wilburn proposed a $50.00 wheel tax but it was thankfully voted down by all the other commissioners on the committee. A $.35 property tax increase was suggested but again thankfully it was not accepted.

So now after more than a thousand dollars has been spent on meetings the raw budget is to be sent to the full Commission where they are "to debate" and decide what to do. While this may make for good theater it sure isn't any way to run a railroad. Allen Barrett

A Telling Event.

A Telling Event

During four meetings on the budget the County Executive has remained silent. On Thursday the Chairman of the Budget Committee asked her directly "What do you think about it (the budget) Mrs Vanzant" to which she responded by looking to her left at Commissioner Jackson and stating, "whatever he thinks".

It was a moment much like in sixth grade when you been looking out the window daydreaming and the teachers ask you the question what is the volume of a six inch tall cone with a nine inch diameter base and the response is Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence.

Leadership can not be possessed by those detached from the activities that surround them.

Public Hearing For The Budget

On 9 July 2010 there is a public meeting on the budget scheduled for 9AM at Pulaski Elementary School. This will be an opportunity for the public to ask questions about the budget but don't expect any answers if it is like past meetings. As has been stated by some commissioners "they have to have the meeting but they don't have to answer any questions".