MauryTHINKS

By: Glen Hasse
As the oil prices spiral out of control, $138.54/barrel for crude oil at Friday, June 6, close, effecting almost all other material prices and especially food prices; many of us wonder how we are going to survive.

We have already cut back our expenditures, probably to the “bare bones” just to buy food and gasoline to get to work, and to pay our mortgage payments to keep a roof over our heads. Some citizens will not have the finances to be able to do this, and as the gas prices spiral upward this group will dramatically increase in number.

As fellow citizens and especially as government leaders, we cannot be indifferent, insensitive and passive to their plight. Nor can we increase their burden by raising taxes, regardless of the seemingly small amount. On the contrary, we should find a way to cut our budget requirements and reduce taxes to decrease their burden.

This will be an almost impossible task since it is indeed a major accomplishment just to stay even on the tax rate, because — even in poor economic times — prices increase and we continue to grow which demands additional services.

Compounding this problem are those department and/or budget section heads who ask for considerably more than they expect to get, regardless of the state of the economy. When these people reduce their requests, often still with a very generous increase remaining, the funding authority is so relieved that they ignore their still generous increase. We must not be swayed from expecting equity of sacrifice for all local government budget departments.

Additionally, we all would like to have the new justice center, new middle school, new school central office, increased manning in the sheriff’s department, pay increases for all county employees, increased travel, more assistant principals (we currently have 19), and more of many other items. Some persons are not afraid to request these items even in this terrible economy and even if our constituents are struggling to make ends meet. Of course, the requests are couched in almost irresistible terms of absolute need, mandated requirements, or to prevent some major undesirable event(s) from happening.

We cannot refute the existence of mandated items in some of the requested budget increases and that these items must be funded. However, many of this year’s budget increases and many of the past budget year’s increases are not mandated, and these areas are fertile grounds for reductions to offset the mandated item increases.

After several years of good economic times, it makes good business sense to critically review each item of each department’s budget to determine if it is really needed. There are several capital projects funding which should be delayed until better economic times since the current state of the economy has substantially reduced the need for many of these projects. Several of these projects did not have a critical timing to begin with and we should not let our personal desires pre-empt the real need for a particular project. However, the borrowing process may preclude this delay from happening.

We must be especially vigilant in the area of taxpayer’s contributions to charities. In poor economic times there will certainly be an increase in the amount of citizens with financial problems. We should strive to help the agencies which directly help these people and reduce our other contributions where we can until the economy improves.

Budget topics will be reviewed next Thursday, June 12, 2008, at 5 p.m. in the County Commission Room. Your attendance and comments will be greatly appreciated.

Glenn Hasse represents District 9 of the Maury County Commission.