Letters to the Editor
Dear editor:
One of the main reasons I chose to be a Commissioner is our County’s Budget. Years had gone by since the loss in annual income from the Georgia Power Plant and all I continued to see was the continual changes in mileage rates and pulling money out of savings or as it’s called the fund balance.
Steve Hersey was Chairman of the Commissioners at the time I started. Kelvin Ervin, Trevor Addison, and myself were elected into office at the same time, we were as told by many a quorum. Our first set down at budget time Paul our County Manager came in and said they have reassessed the Georgia Power property and we have over $400,000 loss annually in addition to the over $1,000,000 that our County had already lost. The way the Commissioners did the budget at that time was to look at the L.O.S.T. revenue and current millage, make a decision on the millage rate, then look at the budget and if there wasn’t enough income to cover that with the established millage rate, take the additional that is needed out of savings.
It did not make sense to do it that way, Steve Hersey said that’s the way we have done it for years. Kelvin Ervin asked at a meeting can we change that and look at the budget first before we ever look at the millage rate or savings/fund balance. They said we could, but it would be aggravating for everyone including the Constitutional Officers.
We voted to change the budget procedure and it was the first start in balancing our Counties budget with the motion made by Kelvin Ervin. Trevor Addison went into gear working on the budget with Linda our Financial Director and Paul our County Manager with several meetings working on the budget. Trevor kept Kelvin and myself informed on his findings and working with others on the budget. Paul had to meet with the Constitutional Officers and all other departments to get our budget in line by working towards our expenses to not exceed our revenue.
We made many mad at us during two hard years of Budget tightening. One day at the Madison Lowe’s Store a fireman came up to me ranting and raving about fireman’s pay structure, that the way it is currently was all wrong and why would us Commissioners not address it. I told him we were currently working on the budget and would be able to address it, just not now.
I told him before we add additional expense we should first make sure our income meets or exceeds our expenses and again we would handle it in time. Didn’t satisfy him, he said he and others were going to do everything they could to get us Commissioners voted out. Starting with Kelvin, Paul, Linda, Trevor and our Constitutional Officers, our Budget was balanced. I was not as big a part as they were, but so proud of them. After we started putting money in savings/fund balance Paul addressed the firemen’s pay structure, however by that time the firemen followed through and got Kelvin Irvin voted out.
Kelvin was the first person to get us started on our budget balancing road that actually made the way possible to update the firemen’s pay structure. Since then our County’s financial rules say that we should have enough finances in our fund balance to operate three months.
The last figure I heard, we have eight. During all this process and at many meetings Kelvin, Trevor and myself disagreed often with Chairman Hersey. Our County needs to continue with a Chairman like Billy Webster that’s smart, has a heart for this County and will listen and guide for the best decision even if it’s not his. You will get that man in Bill Sharp.
Daniel W. Brown
Eatonton