ONCERNS WITH SOMERSET COUNTY BUDGET FY 2010-2011 to be adopted June 8, 2010
1. Debt service is high and will continue to increase with present rate of spending. Interest rates are anticipated to rise in the near future.
2. Spending is excessive in many departments and should be broken down within the account so that the public and commissioners actually know how the money is being spent. A LINE -ITEM BUDGET would clarify questionable expenditures.
3. Some accounts (departments) should be eliminated as they are not essential and other accounts should be cut drastically.
4. Spending does NOT have to equal revenue. Extra revenue could and should be used to pay down debt.
SOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Request a 5% cutback from all departments and allow department heads to determine cuts.
2. Eliminate or drastically reduce community promotions. $112,250.
3. Spending on Truancy Court seems excessive and should be curtailed unless explained and justified by commissioners. $193,000.
4. Family Support Services expenditures seem high and do not benefit a significant number of local citizens and could be reduced. $180,000.
5. States Attorney Office salaries, expenses, and benefits seem extremely high for a small county in which a majority of cases seem to be plea bargained. $1,005,081.00
6. Planning and Zoning should be seriously downsized. In today’s economic environment with little construction anticipated in the near future, there is no need for the permit, inspection, and code enforcement personnel that had been required in the past. $924,246.
7. Tourism salaries, expenses, and benefits should be eliminated. The county simply does not recapture these expenses in additional tourism and this expense should be totally eliminated. Lack of fiscal responsibility is reflected in allowing the Crisfield office to remain open all winter. $236,859.
8. Civil Defense can probably be reduced or further explanation is needed as to what they do and how they benefit the county. $297,638.
9. Animal Control needs a major reduction. The name of the account is misleading as well since this department only responds to calls involving dogs and is identified as dog control by Rt. 413 signage. $232,000.
10. Highway Safety should be eliminated entirely unless the commissioners have proof that this program has benefited the county. $83,000.
11. Transportation (Tri county Council) expenditures are exorbitant. Citizens using this service for work are few. Many from Somerset use this service in order to actually spend money in Wicomico County. Somerset’s return on this investment is low and should be reconsidered. $389,495.
12. Public Health at $620,000 needs to be justified and broken down as to where this money actually goes and if it is spent to benefit the citizens of Somerset County.
13. The Board of Education budget is high and Somerset County needs to demand that the Board of Education operate as efficiently as possible. Money and new buildings does not equate to a good education.
14. Golf course should be sold to private entrepreneur. This action would result in the county NOT subsidizing the golf course in the amount of $277,000 a year but actually collecting taxes and adding revenue to the budget. Private ownership would increase tax rolls.
15. Department of Recreation should be eliminated. Somerset County is not able to support the cost involved with a community park. The schools in the communities have ball fields and the county has other ball fields which residents can use. While the need for a park is good in theory, we simply can’t afford it. $373,000.
16. Economic Development at $207,000 is a waste of taxpayers money and should be purged immediately. Economic Development money has produced NO real economic development, but using this money to lower taxes would do more to create a friendly business environment thereby producing real economic development.
17. County Roads at $3,100,000 is unreasonable in tough economic times. Roads are being resurfaced that do not need it and could be delayed several years without creating any problems.
18. Overall, no cuts were made in the 2010-2011 budget. With minimal insight it can be predicted that 2011-2012 will be more challenging due to lower assessments and fewer grants from state and federal agencies.
The Somerset County Commissioners should incorporate the above suggestions and recommendations into the 2010-2011 budget or justify not doing so. At a time when all entities are scaling back on spending, it is wasteful for Somerset to carry on with business as usual. As assessments and tax revenue decline, the commissioners forge ahead unconcerned with fiscal responsibility. Be transparent and produce a LINE ITEM BUDGET that may justify these expenditures.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
31 comments:
Why not just close Somerset County.
In my opinion cuts mentioned would reduce peoperty values drastically.
With the above cuts why would anyone want to live in Somerset County.
Can't sell Great Hope Golf Course. It was built with Open Space funds and if sold the county would be required to spend an equal amount on another worthless project. Somerset County is in a box on this one.
cut it, cut it more
as a resident of somerset county, i support this
The suggestion to cut the Recreation Department is ridiculous!!! I pay for my kids to participate in those programs. Why should we have to go to Salisbury to allow our kids to participate in rec programs. I think the Rec Department is doing a GREAT JOB! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
ABenton agree with you 100%...this would be the last thing I would cut...
I too agree the Rec Dept is doing a great job...as for as the golf course it seems the peninsula is saturated. Not sure there is enough play for the course. I have played it a several times and think its one of the best for the money.
Greens are always beautiful and one of the few courses that doesn't
screw you on snacks and beverages.
If you dont want to destroy our seafood industry leave Great Hope alone, its the watermens course which has given us some great times. You mess with our course and we will mess with your seafood.
Comments seem to suggest that as long as we can play golf and the kids can be dropped off at the recreation area, everything else on the list can be cut. Good, lets get started with the cuts and lower taxes.
All budgets should be line by line or they mean nothing. Without specifics, it cannot be determined where the money goes. I agree that most of Somersets budget seems to be over weight.
In reply to 8:44, people would want to live here because of the low tax rate. The above cuts suggested would have nothing to do with quality of life. For those wanting more government services I would suggest they move to New Jersey, California, New York, etc where they can get those services and also pay astronomical property taxes. Don't forget what Reagan said "the government that governs best is the government that governs least".
11:27 With the talks your refering to one would only have to move to Worcester or Wicomico county.
Come on Commissioners, cut out bloated spending now. You'll have less bucks next year and must plan ahead.
If you knew you would lose your job or be cut hours, a prudent worker would cut personal and household spending NOW, not wait for the pink slip.
What on earth are you talking about 12:30?
Isn't it strange that officials haven't come on here with a good argument in favor of this budget? Leads me to believe they can't justify it but don't want to admit it and don't want of make any needed cuts in spending. November is coming and like the democrats in congress, two commissioners have decided not to seek re-election. Maybe the other three should pay closer attention to this site or reconsider their desision to run for another term.
Great suggestions!
There are many areas that can be cut.
Government always wants more, more $$$$$.
Tighten the belt.
Seek to LOWER TAXES.
NOW that would attract people to Somerset .
line item budget
line item budget
line item budget
lol 10:35
Great Hope is one of the affordable golf courses on the shore,as is Winterplace and Horsebridge.Most private courses are just too high.Not only rich people love to play golf....
If we can't sell Great Hope, can it be given away?
co-ownership with UMES?
Raise fees?
Great Hope is the one Gem that Somerset County should be proud of.
In my opinion, probably the best kept secret, probably due to the fact no advertising budget. Need to find a way to perserve it, I believe the only 18 hole golf course in Somerset County. Once you lose it you will never get it back. And like the writter above stated very reasonable to play.
Annon10:52 I hear you, but when you start talking recreation its one of the very few, cheap liberties that we as citizens have left. Sadly cuts in recreation would effect all ages.
Well, many golfers, as could be expected, support the drain on county resources to subsidize Great Hope.
That's fine, let's make cuts elsewhere, but also raise greens fees and cart fees.
Blutojthetothmom, it seems like you are saying it's OK to have the taxpayers that do not play golf subsidize those that do. I have a real problem with that. Since when should tax payers pay for your favorite entertainment? Maybe Somerset could buy me a boat, I like to fish.
Annon 3:01 Where have you been? Living in a shell! Do you realize how many taxes you pay to subsidize
items that you never use.
great hope needs to pay its own way, or be gotten rid of.
its draining the tax payers now
maybe instead of giving them money they should loan it to them, let them figure out how to pay it back
be cheaper to get rid of it and make it a park for all to enjoy, not just golfers.
Who is funding the playground equipment at the Westover ballfield?
Seems a waste of bucks for a rural farm community. After al this is not an inner city area where no one has their own back yard?
Obviously there is too much money around if the county can spend tax dollars on swingsets.
That State's Attorney can go through money and men like no one else!
There is questionable spending in this list. The commissioners certainly need to justify the amounts being spent in these departments AND the very existence of the departments.
The vote to adopt is Tuesday, Commissioners.
November IS coming and the citizens want their tax dollars spent wisely.
Joe, can you forward this to the Somerset County Commissioners?
A commenter asked earlier why there was no response from county officals.
5:35, Please more info on this.
3:01, Of course WE ALL realize that far too much tax money is spent subsidizing items we never use or never voted to purchase.
Tell your commissioner to end this wasteful spending or justify the expenses. The vote is Tuesday.
Do tell us about the States Attorney and her men, 5:35.
Post a Comment