I spent the evening moving from place to place in Hermann. Everywhere I went people were buzzing about the 2010 county budgeting process now underway under the direction of Presiding Commissioner Ron Jost. It seems the primary concerns of the public are fairly consistent:
1. Why is the budget for the County Sheriff's Department so big? Why are law-abiding taxpayers paying to house and feed prisoners at the Montgomery County Detention Center? Let the jailbirds pay for their own food and housing at the detention center! If they can't do that, put them to work on county projects!
2. Why are Commissioners Jost and Lairmore proposing to insert $35,000 of taxpayer money into the budget for attorney fees related to continuing the litigation associated with salary over-payment law recently resolved when the Missouri Supreme Court declined to hear the case on appeal? It's over! No county money should be allocated for continuing this legal battle. If parties want to keep suing each other, they should pay the lawyer bills out of their own pockets!
3. Why is there only $1,000 in the proposed budget for county courthouse maintenance and preservation? The County Commission has been abjectly negligent for so many years! It's time to maintain and preserve the historical crown jewel of Gasconade County! And that will require more than $1,000 for heavensakes!
4. Do we really, really need a new $104,000 dump truck? Do we really need it this year when public funds are so tight? Have the Commissioners investigated the following options:
- delay purchase of new truck until 2011 or 2012,
- purchase late model, low mileage used truck rather than new truck,
- contract hauling services to commercial hauler rather than maintaining fleet of trucks and large road department crew?
Jimmy Oldsun
Night Desk Reporter
Hermann Hearsay
