Last night your county council took a majority vote to direct our county manager to move forward with the budget proposal for 2012.  Although many of you may not agree with my decision, I stand by it and will accept any criticism you have.  What follows below is the justification for my vote.

This budget:
1) increases taxes by $10 on properties assessed at $100,000.

2) eliminates 56 employees for 2012 and saves approximately $2 million.

3) begins to decrease our $25 million debt service rather than increase it through phony borrowing like we've seen over the past 10 years.

4) allows the manager to make surgical cuts over this year and in the future rather than a onetime slew of haphazard layoffs, which would most likely cut the lowest salaried, most productive, and most skilled workers we have.

Three out of four isn't bad. Let me explain my reasoning:
The new council was left holding a maxed-out credit card after a night of wild living by past leadership. We will lead and make difficult decisions. I didn't seek this job to be popular; I have invested countless hours to help restore trust, accountability, and professionalism in Luzerne County government. This budget takes those first steps.

--This budget BUILDS TRUST by not borrowing money from bonds. That would have "kicked the can down the road" because it would have avoided a tax increase while increasing our debt. Our decision will also take baby steps toward increasing our bond rating, which will yield savings through lower interest rates as we refinance.

--This budget BUILDS ACCOUNTABILITY by mandating department heads to trim budgets and reduce staff by almost 4%. When more cuts come over the next few years, they will be done in a calculated way that won't harm implementation of services. The budget option that cuts 106 workers would be immediate, draconian, handicap services, and destroy morale. The charter mandates restructuring and new accountability codes, and this budget allows for good workers to be recognized and bad workers to suffer consequences. I have found that the majority of county workers are good; this budget allows time to "separate the wheat from the chaff."

--This budget LAYS THE FOUNDATION FOR PROFESSIONALISM by giving our new manager, Bob Lawton, the time to see what works, what needs correction, and what needs cuts. In any corporate acquisition, new leadership takes time to evaluate all operations in order to make changes. Tough decisions are made within the first year of any merger. Expect Mr. Lawton to evaluate all programs first and then consolidate services, trim fat, and terminate workers who are political hires rather than workers. It is professional to make adjustments based on merit and not emotion.

Judge us Fairly
On a final note, I understand your frustration. I am a fed-up taxpayer too. Although you may disagree with this budget, I ask that you give us a chance to make good on our promises of reform.  Judge this council after 2 years to see if:

--the $122 million budget has shrunk
--the $25 million debt service has decreased
--renegotiated county contracts with the unions are more fair to the taxpayers.
--ridiculously wasteful litigation between the departments and county has disappeared.

Americans are exhausted from paying county taxes, school taxes, gas taxes, sales taxes, state taxes, federal income taxes, and others. I ran for this position because I knew we could reign in our local government more easily than our state or national government.  We can, and we will.  Unfortunately, it can't be done in one month, one budget, or even one term on council, but we move in that direction starting today.


Sincerely,

Harry