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It’s time for some straight talk about it the proposed 2006-07 budget. It represents an enormous increase in spending and an even larger amount of spending in the future.
It’s MONEY WE DO NOT HAVE AND CAN’T AFFORD.
Borrowing for day-to-day expenses when market indicators suggest we may have a revenue downturn in the future is risky business.
KAUFMAN COUNTY IS BROKE! We are borrowing money to make ends meet this budget year, plus we are borrowing money to make ends meet in the future.
On top of that we are committing to hire dozens of people later in the budget year knowing full well we will have to find money to fund those salaries for the full year next budget.
We are betting on the growth by committing revenues we expect to gain a year from now. It seems to me we are delaying some of our budget crisis until the 2007-2008 budget.
In simple terms we are handcuffing ourselves next budget year with over commitments from this budget year.
But from reading some of the articles in the paper you would think we are cutting spending, especially in the Sheriff’s department. That couldn't be further from the truth. In what world would an increase of well over $1 million over last year be characterized as a cut?
It’s time to cut through the spin.
Here is an outline of some of the facts about Kaufman County’s budget.
1. We are out of money. We borrowed over half a million dollars. WHY? Because we have failed to control spending. The same day the proposed loan was on the agenda commissioners were asked to spend $23,000 to put all new windows on the Courthouse Annex Building. Why? Because one window was broken. Thankfully, we voted to simply fix the broken window.
2. At one time Kaufman County had more than several million dollars in reserves. Those are now gone.
3. Many of our neighboring counties have general fund tax rates that are less than ours.
4. We are deliberately taking away your right as taxpayers to rollback spending by raising the tax rate just below the rollback rate then borrowing money so we can pay for remodeling with debt service. In my opinion remodeling should be a general fund expenditure, not debt service.
5. We are borrowing $2 million and with no game plan of how to most efficiently utilize space and decide how to spend it remodeling as we go. We did however have a fruitful planning meeting on Sept.5. But that was a week after we pulled a figure of $2 million out of a hat.
6. By cutting the proposed office of election administrator, commissioners passed on the chance to improve services and save money, not only for the County but for cities, school districts, etc. We did however create the office of public defender, which is a very good thing. That action was a result of a grant that will help us manage costs of indigent defense, which are out of control.
7. CAR ALLOWANCES ARE OUT OF CONTROL! As a County Commissioner, I get a $15,000 car allowance each year. Under the current budget proposal, constables will get a raise in car allowance to more than $19,000 per year. How many of you get a comparable car allowance. On a 3-to-2 vote, commissioners rejected a proposal to save $130,000 in car allowances that would not change anything but the way we pay car allowances. If employees are really driving the number of miles the county is paying for they would lose nothing. There is a good word for that P-O-R-K.
So far in this process the debate has been internal. But by law commissioners have to hold public hearings on the budget.
IT’S NOT TOO LATE! Now it’s your turn. There will be two public hearings and a recorded vote. They are:
10 a.m. Sept. 11, public hearing, courthouse annex building, 100 N. Washington, Kaufman.
10 a.m. Sept. 14, public hearing, courthouse annex building, 100 N. Washington, Kaufman.
10 a.m. Sept. 18, budget vote, courthouse annex building, 100 N. Washington, Kaufman.
No matter how you feel about this budget, if you feel strongly I hope to hear from you.
Yes, we are growing fast but when you let spending exceed your rate of growth you are creating a formula for disaster.
Commissioner Ken Leonard
Kaufman County Pct. 2
© Copyright 2005-2008 by Kaufman County Online
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| Last Updated: Aug 16th, 2008 - 00:39:59 |
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