Impact of Current County Commission's Budget

Every citizen needs to consider the impact of the current County Budget on your present and future taxes. With the exception of Commissioner Pfeifer, the Commission proudly points out that the Fiscal Year 2009 budget includes only a modest tax increase ($1,436,280).

Considering current economic conditions, they could have, and should have, tried to decrease taxes. A detailed analysis of the budget reveals disturbing information:

The Board ignored economic realities in America and approved a $3 million pay raise for County employees. That does not include any COLA and / or merit pay increases they will receive.
The General Fund Budget includes a 7.7% raise for salaries accompanied by a 7% decrease in the operating budget. It is not hard to conclude that the huge pay raise will be paid for by providing less services to the taxpayer.
The 7.7% salary increase is artificially low due to a hiring freeze including 20 positions. If the average pay/benefits of these positions is $50,000 (could easily be more) salaries/benefits would be another $1 million.
The budget letter from the Interim County Administrator claims they are “fiscally conservative” by “…utilization of Public Works crews and staff to conduct certain SPLOST projects.” Public Works crews maintain the county’s infrastructure, not build it. Every day they are diverted to build new roads there is a serious “real cost”. If normal maintenance and repairs are not conducted when necessary they will be substantially more expensive later.

Out SPLOST funds have already been paid by your sales taxes. Contracting road construction, as planned, would not impact your property taxes at all. You already provided the funds. SPLOST funds can only be used for SPLOST projects. Where will these funds end up? Why would they use your property tax money (county crews) to pay for SPLOST projects?
While not in the FY09 budget, but of enormous concern to taxpayers, is the change from a Defined Contribution to a Defined Benefit retirement plan. It will inevitably result in a huge future burden on taxpayers. No one has been able to adequately estimate its costs. Every day more of these plans go bankrupt and employees lose benefits. When I asked Mr. Horgan, at a public forum, why he voted for this extraordinarily risky plan for both taxpayers and employees, he simply said, “…the employees wanted it.” As soon as this plan is in place the lobbying will start to increase the defined benefits. The door is about to open and you get to pay the ascending costs.

The plan also contains provisions which allows the Board to “…offer benefit enhancements or the opportunity to retire under specific terms and conditions to any employee or group of employees.” (Page 20 of the Plan). If that isn’t a recipe for disaster and unequal treatment of county employees, what is?

This is classic election year budget manipulation, i.e., hide the bad news until after the election. We’ve seen this in many governments in the area and the State of Georgia but until now, not here in our county.

You need to “fasten your seatbelts.” If this nonsense continues we taxpayers are in for a very turbulent ride for many years to come.

Horgan and friends promised you change and you got it. With your help true fiscal conservatives can assume the leadership at the county level and stop the bleeding.

Greg Dunn
Candidate County Commission Post 1