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Although we had a new County Council come in last year with no experience of the County's Budget, some numbers should have sent up a red flag.
The Solid Waste Department, (GET THIS) went from $250,000.00 a year to $500,000.00 a year for oil & gas!!!!
The Roads Division went from $1,000,000.00 a year to $1,300,000.00 a year for oil and gas.
It was a difficult and confusing time for the Council because you not only had several newcomers on the Council, you also had oil and gas on the rise, (not really) and several people not knowing what the history was.
Looks like we're going to have to do some more serious digging and find out just how bad things were.
10 comments:
The answer: of course it should!
PS -- this also shows why the City of Salisbury should go back to the "line item" style budget, like Terry Cohen has asked -- rather than the "program" type budget that was adopted under Barrie Tilghman and the "Dream Team" City Council (Dunn, Comegys & Cathcart).
Yes the County Council most likely should have caught the increase in requestd dollars for fuel etc.
However, the GREATER responsibility seems to lie with Department heads and especially the Finance Office.
That is one of the Finance Offices primary responsbilities, to identify unusual expenditures and ask questions. There had to be enough Red Flags in this fiasco to mark a road from here to somewhere far away.
I was glad to read this AM that Mr. Pollit is re-thinking who he will hire to do the audit.This will certainly be the most important decision he will make in the 4 years of his first term. If he makes the wrong decision then it will be his first and last term.
The citizens and voters have finally had enough and will not tolerate anything but the truth, and let the chips fall were they may!
How in the world can some council members find excess expenditures of ball point pens and overlook a 50% increase in fuel expenses. Doesn't anyone use common sense any more. The taxpayers pay these members and Mr. Pollitt to look at these items. If you need help, look to the business community they are used to running a tight ship because it is their money, not the taxpayers.
Joe, I guess if someone doesnt agree with you you wont post a comment. I will post this again to give you the benefit of the doubt that my original comment was lost. The number for the roads division represents fuel consumption for the ENTIRE county. The fuel goes there, and they are reimbursed for every depts fuel use. I dont doubt that there was a 250,000 increase in the landfill in light of recent events, but if the roads fuel consumption only went up by 300,000 that only shows an increase of 50000 by the rest of the entire county. With the increase in the cost of fuel in a years time, that doesnt seem too out of line to me. This just goes to show that the problem seems to only lie at the landfill, not county-wide as your post suggests.
It is a tad bit different now that we have A County Executive. As I understand it the SOLE responsibility to create the fiscal year budge is that of the Executive and not he Council, as it use to be.
I understand the Council as the responsibility to review the budget after it is prepared by the Exec. and his staff. The Council can then CUT items but may not increase the budget.
The day to day oversite do the individual departments is that of the Exec and his department heads.
So lets not blame the Council on this one. We must point the boney finger of indignation squarely at Mr. Pollits office. Cause like his fellow Democrate Mr. Truman said "The Buck Stops Here" and that is squarely in the Execs lap!
Anonymous said...
How in the world can some council members find excess expenditures of ball point pens and overlook a 50% increase in fuel expenses. Doesn't anyone use common sense any more. The taxpayers pay these members and Mr. Pollitt to look at these items. If you need help, look to the business community they are used to running a tight ship because it is their money, not the taxpayers.
9:44 AM
Because Mr. Holloway isn't very educated so a $3 pen is a big thing to him. Stevie and A. Kaye Kenny are pulling his strings.
I am beginning to think that this has been going on for so long that's why it wasn't picked up because it looked like business as usual.
I have faith that if either Stevie or Gail had any hint of such activity it would have come up long ago. I voted for John and have faith in the rest that they have nothing to hide.
Rick may have done the current budget, however what he had to use as a meter were past budgets, past audits and it may be a while until we know how far back this activity goes.
Now I do seriously question the recent addition of Creamer from retirement, his teeth may be chattering by now and wishing he stayed retired. He's the one with the long history of finances among the whole group. Just an opinion.
The Bd. of Ed. is giving away 10% bonuses for 3 years so people will let them know when they're retiring. How could that have gotten by the County Council? If they don't retire, they keep the money. How is this a reasonable use of my tax money?
Anonymous said...
3:31 PM
I have faith that if either Stevie or Gail had any hint of such activity it would have come up long ago.
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I DON'T!
Rick may have done the current budget, however what he had to use as a meter were past budgets, past audits and it may be a while until we know how far back this activity goes.
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The Council went over Rick's Budget with a fine tooth comb and added to it.
Now I do seriously question the recent addition of Creamer from retirement, his teeth may be chattering by now
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What teeth? All that money he makes, I doubt he has ever gone to a dentist.
That 10% raise thing at the Bd. is nuts and inethical. Take the money for retiring. They ask you to stay. Keep the money but don't retire. Wasn't the money because the person was supposed to be retiring? So if they don't retire, OK with me, I really don't care about that, but the 10% gets paid back because there was no retirement just a regular year. Why shouldn't it be regular pay for a regular year? You don't retire, we don't act like you are. The whole thing makes no sense anyway but not having to pay it back is crazy except for the ones who are working it. Did Miss Holloway say she would get this ironed and fixed out? That's tax money going for a big gift.
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