The Titus County Republican Executive Committee, acting as a fiscal watchdog to the intrinsic tendency of government to keep sucking up more and more tax dollars, went on the record this past week as opposing the proposed 2015-2016 county budget.
As Party Vice Chairman Nigel Christopher has said, “There is absolutely no justification for giving out pay increases when our tax base is shrinking so much.”
“That Luminant is trying to lower their property values, yet again, should be of no surprise to anyone. Calling the pay increase a 'cost of living increase' is just plain wrong. Inflation is on track to be less than 0.5% this year as the lower oil prices and strong dollar continue to work through the economy,” he said. “Additionally one of the few areas where there still is some inflation i.e. healthcare, the county employees have been totally protected under their Cadillac plan while most tax payers see increasing deductibles and co-pays every year.”
The publication of the Republicans’ manifesto in the local daily paper prodded a posse of county employees to show up at the second of two legally-required budget hearings Thursday night (we have reproduced the advertisement below, on Friday). They told the commissioners they are doing a fine job there - I mean, what would you expect?
In the Bible, Hosea 8:7, it says “For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.” Right now, they commissioners court is being led by the nose by the county employees, and their family members. This irresponsible refusal to think in the long-term and show some forethought for the long-term consequence of their actions is going to be disastrous.
The proposed budget for 2016 includes a $1200 a year or more increase for all but four county employees. Prior to the beginning of Luminant's decreases in value in 2012 the county employees received generous raises for nearly ten years that exceeded normal private industry raises and exceeded the inflationary process.
The salaries of Titus County personnel indicate a trend of salaries exceeding the local area county governments and most of the public business salaries. These raises will be paid by raising your taxes. These proposed pay increases should not include elected officials, especially when one considers the lesser amount of time and real work they perform on the job!
Commissioners mis-read the failure of more widespread public protest of their budget. They think that because more people are not arguing, fewer people care. The truth is, people stop arguing with you when they realize it’s useless. Silence from the public isn’t approval, it’s despair. But when the tax bills go out next month, people will quickly snap into action as their bank accounts are depleted.
Commissioner Al Riddle repeatedly made suggestions for cutting positions to trim the budget and offer the taxpayers some relief. Now truth be told, the school district will have a worse impact on overall taxes, but the district did make some cuts and is drawing down its reserves to cope with the loss of property tax revenue. The other members of the commissioners court, on the other hand, pretty much dismissed Riddle’s proposals and have gone on blindly ahead.
Regardless, when people realize how much money they are shelling out overall for their taxes now, they will pretty much adopt a “Throw the bums out” approach towards everyone in elected office.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Phillip Hinton has already said he is not running for re-election next year. He was last re-elected as a Democrat, but with the ongoing Republican trend in Titus County, odds are almost certain a Republican will take the post next year. After the disappointing behavior this year of Precinct 4 Commissioner Jimmy Parker – who first ran for the office as a Democrat but later ran and won as a Republican – most Republican loyalists will want to see someone with strong Republican roots, and not somebody who changed parties for political expediency.
We need commissioners who want to be strong fiscal conservatives and responsible government leaders, not Good Ol’ Boys. The Good Ol’ Boys got us into the mess we are in already.
Commissioners held two public hearings last week to allow the public the opportunity to comment on the budget. Monday night, Sept, 28, at 6 p.m., they will be meeting at the county courthouse downtown to formally adopt it. Show up; if they won’t see the light, let them feel the heat.
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