RSS Feed
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
WashCo citizens voice concern about county debt and management
Dr. Keith Beech, local veterinarian said, "We are interested in trying to change to part-time commissioners and to the Unit System of county government. We tried to get our elected officials, Senator Lindsey and Representative Keahey, to introduce and pass a local bill to put this on the June 5 ballot to allow the people of Washington County to vote on this change. They did not. My elected representatives chose not to represent me." Beech went on to explain that concerned citizens will now pursue the petition system to give the people a chance to choose their form of government. "In 1995 we were $3,500,000 in debt; now in 2007, we are $7,500,000." He discussed organizing a Political Action Committee. Others present cautioned that PAC record-keeping must be very meticulous and suggested that those seeking signatures be trained on how to answer questions about the unit plan. Beech explained that there are 28 polling places in Washington County and people are needed to canvass each location for signatures. Some present questioned if the change would result in anything better as far as road maintenance and money management. Bob Gunter, former county engineer said, "We need to consider this nearly $8 million debt. Anything you do (about the debt) is a step in the right direction. This county is carrying the $8 million debt and has a $60 million infrastructure debt." Gunter cautioned, "There will not be a quick turn-around. It is going to take a long time to make a difference. The first priority is to protect what (infrastructure) you have; then pay off the debt." Beech interjected, "Throwing more revenue at a management problem does not help." Richard Johnson of Charity Chapel told the group, "We shouldn't have to be fighting our county commission." Probate Judge Charles Singleton said, "What we are doing is not working. The county has a $168,000 monthly payroll. This year the commission borrowed $400,000 to make payroll, but they owed $115,000 from the year before so Washington County has a $515,000 short-term debt. We have been watching our spending closely, and we now have the short-term debt down to $80,000." The judge expressed the desire to "break even" next year. He also expressed frustration with the "five separate businesses" the county runs. He said Washington County has eight road graders for five districts. And he said that the county engineer, a professional, and the highest paid county employee, though he is trained to maintain dirt roads, has absolutely nothing to do with dirt roads, but is instead relegated to paved roads and bridges. Judge Singleton continued, "Mobile County has three commissioners. If their commissioners spent their time supervising road crews, do you think they'd have landed the steel mill?" The judge said he recently received a phone call telling him that one of Washington County's road graders was in the parking lot of Hardee's in Citronelle and expressed disbelief that the grader operator had apparently never been told not to do that. Singleton said one major improvement with the Unit System would be the establishment of a central purchasing department for bidding out tires and repair parts, etc., and said that if there was a head of purchasing to negotiate prices, there would be savings. The judge explained how the present system works: a commissioner buys something; he calls for a purchase order number; he authorizes the purchase order to be paid and signs the ticket that it is paid; thereby acting as the buyer, the payer (with county funds) and the receiver of the goods. "I am not saying that any of them do anything wrong," he emphasized, "but I was taught in Sunday School to avoid the appearance of evil." He also explained that with the Unit System form of government, a countywide schedule for maintenance could be established with numbers assigned so citizens would know when to expect scheduled work on their road. When there was an emergency, a centralized management could attend to that and citizens would know they are being heard. "It is a better accountability system." He went on to say that 57 counties have the workorder system. The judge stated that going to the Unit System is one-half of a step, and added that all roads need to be put under the county engineer with the commissioners' position becoming parttime. He estimated that would amount to an immediate savings of $125,000 with the cut in salaries, county-furnished vehicles, fuel and tires, etc. Judge Singleton then switched to a different subject: the expected rapid growth in Washington County associated with the influx of people working at the ThysenKrupp steel mill. He told the group that he is already getting inquiries about setting up trailer parks and subdivisions. "We have got to pass an ordinance to regulate subdivisions. We are going to have to establish building codes in the next six weeks." He stated that Mobile County has put on 20 more deputies due to the expected increase in crime associated with the influx of people; and said that Washington County was going to have to do the same.
Singleton stressed, "Accountability is the key word. We must get our house in order. Doing 'whatever' is not for today."
|
for larger version       |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
