Island County government is competing with many other sources providing products and services in exchange for tax payer’s dollars. Sad, but real facts for those sources of money are that incomes have dropped the most in the past 20 years and money left over after taxes have taken the biggest plunge since 1959
This indicates County Government must obtain citizens agreement that County’s product or services have priority over the competition
County needs to have a clear message proving benefits to citizens and those benefits must solve real problems providing necessary services
The best way to do this can not be to raise taxes and fees again. Instead public pressure will force the Commissioners to eliminate at least the three most irritating programs they created since the rejection of Prop 1; all solving non existent problems, i e,
1. Septic inspection program that later combined with another bogus problem producing the Clean Water Utility District Christmas Present for voters
2. The 2012 Christmas present of a County wide Recycling ordinance that’s currently being considered for elimination
3. Homola’s gun ordinance now again being considered but not yet approved, Commissioners Jill Johnson and Emerson stated at today’s Commissioners’ meeting that final action on this ordinance will be resolved at their March 6, Wednesday work session
By demonstrating those unwanted programs foisted on citizens have been eliminated and those tax dollars and associated other costs no longer exist then, and only then, can new, revenue plans be established but not costing tax payers more than those eliminated
This time it must not be “special Interest minorities” getting the Commissioners attention
It’s time we the people demand the Commissioners make a list of ALL programs and then THE Commissioners must rank them according to mandated laws and citizen needs
Too many existing programs were historically justified on somewhat questionable values of Social justice. That also includes taxpayer memberships or attendiing functions of unnecessary non important groups such as Sustainable Whidbey Coalition, Puget Sound Waters, and all other similar organizations. if a County official or employee wants to be active in these groups, they must pay for it; not the tax payers
All of those programs must be re-evaluated to make sure they are cost justified; if not eliminate them
NOT ALL funded programs can be ranked #1, either County wide or within a specific departments but that historically seems to be the way it’s been done contrary to what County officials claim
Eliminating those rated lowest and their associated staff and other expenses would result in significantly improved public creditability & trust in our Commissioners when replacing those taxes, fees, and costs with adequate funds to restore necessary service levels
-
Bill;
W/ the limited supply of freshwater aquifers on Island County I don’t see the need to object to some kind of septic system regulation or the like. Respectfully.
As far as the other two programs, absolute agreement with you. Does Island County Government really need to risk a lawsuit from the 2nd Amendment Foundation for a negative increase in public safety? Uh, no. Does Island County Government need to butt into a free-market recycling operation? Uh, no. I would hope Island County Republicans would agree that there is little to nothing in the yellow pages a county government need duplicate.
There is also the question of the land conservation fund. I agree w/ Commish Johnson that there needs to be an endgame on that.
-
There is ZERO, ZERO, ZERO justification for some so-called “septic system regulation” that imposes a $39.13 assessment fee annually on ever single parcel of land in Island County via a misleadingly named “Clean Water Utility”.
There are already more than plenty of building codes and regulations to ensure that septic systems are built to meet or exceed their planned service load, etc.. Moreover, anyone who owns a septic KNOWS TO and DOES service it BEFORE required, or else it backs up and then you wind up having to service it IMMEDIATELY anyway!
Under this so-called Clean Water Utility, property owners still bear 100% of the burden of maintaining and servicing their septic systems.
ELIMINATE the “Clean Water Utility”. There never WAS a problem to solve regarding septic systems and the “Clean Water Utility” does NOTHING to solve that NON-PROBLEM!
-
Shows how much I know…. not much unless it has wings on it.
-
-
The so-called Clean Water program was intended to clean up Puget Sound not to be applied for drinking water source protection. Two Island County Commissioners previously bastardized the intend and created a new tax and unnecessary additional problems for property owners. Please correct me if I am wrong.
All three of these contrived problems and more offer a bulls eye for the now improved commissioner team. Lock and load ladies.
-
Grassroots Grunt , I am sure you are correct and remember as if it was yesterday when John Dean, in his last act as Commissioner was signing a budget with this comment, “I have freinds who are deputies and friends who are Beach Watchers
Therefore, I must treat them equally in this budget” So he supported Homola and Price-Johnson with his vote and deputies were terminated
With that vote HPJ amd Homola realized they still had 2 votes and with that did whatever they wanted until now
That fiscal stupidity must be stopped and at least Commissioners Emerson and Johnson must prove they are worthy of our trust with a serious change of attitudes in decision making processes when funding projects and associated other “feel good” programs, trips, memberships in useless groups, etc, etc
HPJ is now the minority and they should make sure she knows it
euff is enuff
-
-
-
I concur with the above comments. Need to eliminate the Clean Water Utility,,,with all the other levys, taxes, we are taxed out ….all programs need to be justified and those not meeting the needs must go….the county needs to be smart with the limited funds available and make sound decisions….you can do it….we are watching and hoping you will do the right thing……
-
It is not just the new programs the previous commissioners have authorized that are causing our problems. Those were to some extent user fee paid. The commissioners need to look at ALL county departments to see if the basic needs of the county are being met and then rank these departments by need.
When you realize that our parks plan has a goal of having a park within 3 miles of all county residents does it make you wonder where they think the funding is going to come from. What was a good idea in good times may not be a good idea today. Times have changed and so should the goals of all of our non essential county departments.
Reply
An event calendar of upcoming conservative events on the Islands. To add an item to this calendar please use the comment form below or contact one of our authors directly.
Click
Here!
7 comments
Comments feed for this article