We disagree

Carroll County Commissioners constantly say at public meetings that they do not make spending decisions.

Bill Brown said it again at the Monday morning special meeting in response to an employee's statement that employees did not make bad spending decisions but they had to now pay for them. Brown looked at her and said the commissioners did not make the bad spending decisions either.

But wait a minute…don't the commissioners approve claims for payment every month? Isn't that deciding to spend the county's money? The county council is obligated to pay the claims after the claims are approved by the commissioners, but the commissioners are not obligated to approve the claims.

And what about the health insurance debacle? Rather than get the best price available by putting the service out to bid, the commissioners chose to put off making a decision for nearly nine months. (April is the annual renewal date. The council requested quotes for last summer's budget discussions and the budget was developed, shared with local government entities, and submitted to the Department of Local Government Finance by the end of September.) Isn't that making spending choices?

Before the department budget requests for the next year are given to the council, they are reviewed by the commissioners. The commissioners also make specific salary recommendations that are forwarded to the council. The commissioners sent the council a budget this year (2008) worth more than $8 million, but the county only had a little more than $5 million to spend. Isn't that a spending decision? The commissioners were told for months that there was not money for an $8 million budget. But they approved it anyway.

Isn't it a spending decision to lease a space in the courthouse to the historical society for $5 for five years and pay $14,000 per year to house the county extension office?

Isn't it a spending decision to put the courthouse custodian, assistant custodian, and assistant Carroll Manor superintendent under contract for one year and the Carroll Manor superintendent for four years when budget reduction will have to be done? Those employee hours cannot be reduced...but deputies can be laid off...all spending decisions.

We think the commissioners have a lot more to do with spending than they want to take credit for.