{"id":94,"date":"2019-12-12T22:12:28","date_gmt":"2019-12-12T22:12:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mikesylvia.org\/?p=94"},"modified":"2019-12-12T22:12:28","modified_gmt":"2019-12-12T22:12:28","slug":"2020-belknap-county-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mikesylvia.org\/?p=94","title":{"rendered":"2020 Belknap County Budget"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Belknap county\ncommissioners have released their proposed budget for 2020. Their\nbudget would spend $31,982,847 which is 6.6% more than the 2019\nbudget. They provide for spending $1,500,000 from unrestricted fund\nbalance which will result in a tax increase of 6.4%. The county\ndelegation will meet Friday, December 13th<\/sup> at 7:00 to\nreceive a presentation and get public comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These figures will\nstun anyone that is at all familiar with economics. Belknap county\nhas an aging population and growth is very limited. If the county was\ngrowing, and keeping pace with inflation (2.5%), the proposal would\nstill be double what would be reasonable. When government outruns the\npace of economic growth and inflation, the stage is set for an\nunpleasant and possibly sharp decline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the delegation is\nto take its responsibility for this budget we will need to reduce the\ncommissioners\u2019 request substantially. Fortunately, the\ncommissioners allow plenty of room to adjust their inflated desires.\nIf we look at the 2019 budget and compare it to actual spending we\u2019ll\nsee there was more than a million dollars stuffed in the budget that\nwas unnecessarily taken from the pockets of the county taxpayers. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me show you the money. In 2019 the delegation appropriated $30,002,772 to cover county expenses. From that we deduct the \u2018operational savings\u2019(unspent budgeted funds) of $1,162,812, we get $28,839,960 which was spent on county operations. This amount also includes spending of funds that were not appropriated by the delegation. To get to a realistic budget number for 2020, take the amount spent in 2019,subtract the amounts spent without authorization and add 2.5% for inflation. That will put you in the neighborhood of $29.6 million. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rest assured, that real world math would not please those that have to manage the budget. And I wouldn\u2019t stop there. That budget includes an unconstitutional gift to a private corporation (Community Health Services Network, LLC.) of $620,000. [Art.]10. [Right of Revolution.] Government being instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security, of the whole community, and not for the private interest or emolument of any one man, family, or class of men… <\/em>Taking of taxpayers\u2019 money and giving it to a corporation does not fit the standard of \u2018common benefit\u2019. So,there we are, a budget that should be $29 million not $32 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If\nwe look back to the 2019 budget process, the executive committee was\ntasked with producing a budget. We brought a budget of $29,144,306 to\nthe full delegation (note that this was $300,000 more than needed)\nand it was rejected. The commissioners sold their fear campaign to a\nnew crop of legislators and the taxpayers coughed up an extra\n$850,000 to ensure no management skills would be required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the delegation gets anywhere near a budget that I could vote for, expect a lot of drama from County Drive. I’m willing to suffer the whining if the taxpayers don’t get gouged in the process.
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Belknap county commissioners have released their proposed budget for 2020. Their budget would spend $31,982,847 which is 6.6% more than the 2019 budget. They provide for spending $1,500,000 from unrestricted fund balance which will result in a tax increase of 6.4%. The county delegation will meet Friday, December 13th at 7:00 to receive a … <\/p>\n

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