Our own local $700B bailout!!!!!
Well, not really $700B but if we use Karen's percentages I'd say that $1.7M 'bailout' for the Sheriff is about the same. http://www.claytoday.biz/content/315_1.php This article is interesting reading for anyone that wants to read about government at it's ... well I'd like to finest but for some reason I just can't bring myself to use that word. I will give credit to the 3 Commissioners that voted to give the Sheriff the $1.7M he needed for his budget this year. What I can't believe is the absolute abysmal performance of two of the Commission as a whole. A couple of quotes from Commissioner Fitzgerald, she of the magic wand for the PUD they approved ... “The residents of Clay County want lower taxes but, if you adopt this, you’re setting yourself up for a tax increase.” “This bailout for the Sheriff is not good management.” Actually this resident would have been just as happy without the 'biggest tax cut that Clay County has ever seen'. Or I would have been if they would just spend it a little smarter than they do. They are going to spend $5M on some boondoggle land deal that 'might' serve some purpose 'in the future' without a blink of an eye or a thought to present needs, but we are going to LOAN the Sheriff $1.7M that he is going to have to pay back next year. She was right about the 'not good management' part right. She just had it on the wrong side of the balance sheet. What the heck is wrong with these people? Did we really elect them or did some aliens beam in to replace the people we thought we elected. If anyone should have to 'pay back' the $1.7M it is them. If they truly have to have that land this year then they should be the one's borrowing the money. If I ran my own budget like this I'm sure I would not like the outcome. I can see it now ... Hon, listen I'm going to spend $5K on a new dock that we might be able use in 5 years or so if they ever decide to build a canal out to the river behind our house. That means we're going to be a little short on cash this month. But if you promise to pay it back next month I'll let you borrow $1700 from savings to support the house with things like food, electricity and water. If you have the intestinal fortitude to tell your spouse something like that, you have more guts than brains. For me, I just don't think that would fly. And this foolishness shouldn't either. Political advertisement paid for and approved by Mike Heemer, write-in, for Commission Chair.Mike Heemer
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I watched the meeting. This meeting happened 7 hours before the new fiscal year was to come on line. Why the last minute of passing the budget?
Fitzgerald said she has been asking for clarification on the line items of the Sheriff's since May and has not received them yet.
Rutledge drilled him on why he overbudgets and then gives money back. I thought that was an excellent question. One that was brought up during the campaign. Who needs that kind of cushion when the statutes allows him to come before the board and asked for additional funds if situations do come up.
I think I agree with Fitzgerald and "not good management" on the part of the Sheriff.
As Commissioner Rutledge asked him "you gave back 1 million this year" so why asked for more than you need if you operated the Sheriff's Office without that 1 million you're giving back. And you are taking it from the general funds which the county could have a crisis and wipe out our reserves in a hurry too. Then he asked how will I be less safe in the morning if I don't vote for the 1.7 million dollar loan because you are giving back 1 million. He didn't answer and Bush cut him off.
Commissioner Bush I disagree that the budget was out there to review. I checked the Sheriff's Office website and he had no documents for the 08/09 budget. On the county website no document appeared until Oct 1st after the approval.
Now I know that I could taken off work, drive to Green Cove, request to review the over 488 pages and spend the afternoon in Green Cove. Or I guess I could have asked as a public records request and paid my .15 per sheet for 488 sheets and made a small investment.
You know the county could have put it on the website too. I think we paid enough money for computers down there to get that document out for the public to review.
Oh did I mention I'm so glad we have term limits. I don't plan on paying more taxes for the Sheriff to overbudget and I really don't like paying 5 million for a piece of property that isn't worth 5 million to start with. I'm like Ms Moss this is a "bit pricey".