Skin In the Game?

A first look at the budget recommendation is on tap this week, as the document makes its way before the full County Commission. And it is bound to find some controversy on the floor. Extensive cuts that have some departments looking at personnel, most charities getting a goose egg and raiding the hospital reserve fund will be a hard sell. But the true test will come early, as Commissioners discuss altering or suspending the County Debt Service Policy to tap into a General Fund Balance that is less than $100,000 away from the current mandated bottom line. In the Pro category is the ability to use those funds to offset a need for a property tax increase this year. In the Con category is a mound of debt that could impact our County rating( the terms that we have in borrowing funds or going out for bonds) and is partially offset by maintaining a reasonably healthy fund balance, as well as the fact that once a line is crossed it becomes the new norm. It is truly a no win situation. However, sometimes you just have to take the best of the bad and make it work.

There are some questions that I hope that County Commissioners are asking before they cast their vote.

If the County Debt Policy is set aside and the County Fund Balance is allowed to fall below the level that was approved during times when we were more focused on the future than the present, will it be tapped even further to cover insurance costs that were not figured into the current year’s budget to the tune of around $135,000?

We currently have a huge deficit in landfill closure costs, a multi million dollar deficit, that has not been addressed. Could a negative hit to our County rating be negatively impacting if we have to come up with funds for these closure costs? And have we begun setting aside funds to offset those costs in this budget?

Was the cost of addressing the sewer issues at Rush Strong School a part of the proposed budget? And, if not, where are those funds coming from because there will certainly be costs?

The County Commission took a 3% cut in their budget, apparently largely from the legal line item. Is this not the same thing as the schools taking cuts in electricity and then coming back for a budget amendment when they ran out of money? That was a talking point for several Commissioners this year, yet logically the County cannot do without legal representation and if it is need, just like electricity, they will fund it. As far as skin in the game goes, this looks to be barely a scrape.

What will the cost be in quality of life for the residents of Jefferson County if some of the charities that lost funding and are dependent on that funding to meet a grant cease to serve Jefferson County? Can the County provide those services in another way and what is the cost of providing those services?

There are no easy answers but there are still several questions. I am sure that there are many that I have missed. But I hope that the Commission asks the questions and has the answers before the first vote is cast. In a year where there is no clear cut path, sometimes all you can do is start walking.