Not only should the county be cutting the budget but they as well as the board of education need to start working on eliminating the fat in administration positions. Past and present commissioners and school board members have been spending and hiring like crazy but while the economy was growing no one noticed. Now it is time to down size and get to a minimal size and it will take some hard decisions by these 2 groups. Will they have the guts to do it?

County government needs to cut spending across many levels, they need to stop engaging in expensive lawsuits, and need to put tight restrictions on county issued credit cards. Just like regular homeowners who have to do more with less, so should the people in county government.

All the crying in another blog about power bills going up but not a peep from anyone about how much our county & school taxes are getting ready to go up. Amazing.

I remember an old wise man that has lived here forever say "follow the money and you will find the problem". I am following the money and yes he is right. We have Federal Drug Seizure money available to the Sheriff's Department to fight out war on drugs. Unfortunately we do not spend it that way. Our present Sheriff has spent the 2007 Drug Seizure money on gas guzzlers(Tahoe's LTZ) on the Command Staff and he has purchased numerous cars for him to drive. How does this help the war on drugs for our children? By the way just some FYI March 2008 He purchased a sportster Buick and on election day 4 months later he purchased a Mustang Cobra. Happy Election day!!! I believe this happened due to lack of political education for the citizens. How is that for perks? We need more to help us as citizens to maintain the issue with drugs. This was a total expenditure in 2007 totaling $183,000.00. Now could that help on the hiring freeze or layoffs? In my opinion I think so.

bhansfo - I think only 2 people showed up for the public meetings regarding the school board budget and their proposed increase on property taxes.

If people don't start showing up in large numbers to the county commission meetings and to the school board meetings the people will allow them to spend our tax dollars any way they can. It's time to tell the powers that be to cut the fat from the hog.

According to school check listing numbers the taxpayers spent $200,000+ in legal fees to school attorneys that represent the school board/school system..and that was in just 5 to 6 months time.

It now appears the budget "shortfall" of almost $7 million comes from a budget that was originaly balanced by the inclusion of $5 million in "revenue" which was transferred from "reserves". Therefore, the real cash flow shortfall is almost $12 million. Add to that the payments on the jail and Sheriff's office bonds (if passed in November - $90,000,000 over 30 years at 4%) of $4 million+/- a year and the "shortfall" becomes $16 million!!

Also unknown is whether or not the shortfall amount includes payments on the $100 million in recently authorized parks bonds. If not included, that adds another $4 million +/- to the shortfall and we are now at a $20 million shortfall!!!!!!!