12/03/2006: "Money to Burn"

Have you ever walked up to a store minutes before closing time and found it locked-up? The lights are on and you can see people inside working but they won't let you in? It reminds me of our County Courthouse during a storm.

It must cost taxpayers a bundle to keep the Courthouse closed for business but heated and partially staffed on these cold winter days. But it's okay. They have our money to burn.

Those employees who bravely fight the storm to show up for work get paid time-and-a-half while we pay everyone else their regular salary whether they show up or not.

And this cost is nothing compared to the real spending going on. We are adding executives and staff to the county payroll like there was no tomorrow. We are spending 2 million more over ‘06 and will likely draw heavily into the reserve funds. Here are some highlights from the 2007 budget.
Remember that special election last May when voters rejected the Housing Bank proposal? It's back. According to Councilman Ranker it is now "critical" that we hire an Affordable Housing Coordinator at a cost to taxpayers of $51,669.00 annually. This is another example of how government raises our taxes to make housing more affordable.

The Housing Bank is also asking for more money from the 2007 budget to "augment their efforts". So far they have been unsuccessful at getting these additional funds. But with money to burn how long will it take before this little branch becomes a big tree in the county bureaucracy?

To burn more money the Council wants to hire a full time Communications Coordinator for about $75,000.00 a year. Ordinary taxpayers must not be very smart because we need someone to explain to us why our county government does such silly things. (Like when the lights are on and you can see county workers in the courthouse but all the doors are locked. Explain that please.)

I hope the job description for Communications Coordinator includes stand up comedy experience because a sense of humor will be important. "Wanted: Someone who can tell jokes and spin the truth like a wool spinning "Sheep to Shawl" Blue Ribbon winner."

According to Councilman Lichter, "The full-time communications person Pete Rose is requesting can arguably be necessary because of the Charter. Six Council Members cannot be flying off in different directions vis-a-vis the media, so there must be a central focus. As well, there are so many new ordinances and ways of doing business, all mandated by the Charter, that we must have clarity of communications to insure transparency for our citizens. And I will guess that because of the change to small voting districts, there will be information, news, questions, complaints, comments coming from everywhere that will need to be coordinated."

Let me get this straight. If we double the number of Council members are we going to be twice as confused? Will we really need someone to explain all this stuff to us in a precise professional way? I will attend the first formal press conference. I will ask how our little county can afford to pay for a big city Communications Coordinator.

The Planning Department (CDPD) is planning to increase their staff by charging an additional $320 thousand dollars in permit fees. I will never understand why people in government think that increasing taxes and fees on builders will make housing more affordable. Oh well.

CDPD plans to use this $320K to shape this department into a lean mean permit-processing machine. To do this however they must end the popular "owner-builder" program. "I don't think so Tim". I doubt that this program will be cut. It is one of the few programs that really contribute to affordable housing.

If the new Council will not end the owner-builder-program and increase other fees then this money will come from the magic drawer of budget reserves that will now be depleted by storm clean-up expenses.

The formerly all-volunteer Marine Resources Committee needs 2 new employees. The 2007 budget proposes to pay half the cost of these positions while grant money pays the other half. When volunteer committees are made up of mostly paid staff they tend to evolve into bureaucratic departments. This is an alarming trend.

This is another example of how "free" grant money creates dependency. We only think we are getting something for nothing. We are setting something into motion that never stops. It's like getting a free printer for your personal computer and ending up spending a fortune on those little ink cartridges. Free grant money? "I don't think so Tim."

Don't be surprised when you see the Courthouse locked-up with the lights on and nobody home. If we keep burning money like this it won't take long for us to run out. Approval of the 2007 budget takes 4 votes to pass. Which one of the new Council Members will cast the fourth vote?