Raise taxes or cut expenses – or both. Those are the hard decisions facing Madison County and Anderson City government. The city projects it will have a $3.5 million budget shortfall by the end of 2009, even after previously planned budget cuts. And the county projects a $3.8 million deficit.
Both entities took steps in the right direction Thursday to meet huge budget deficits by reducing workforce. “This is painful stuff, and it’s difficult stuff,” said Anderson Board of Public Works Chairman Greg Graham.
He’s right about that; nobody likes to see jobs lost. But when it comes to government, the first responsibility is to the taxpayer. Government exists to serve the public, not to employ people.
The city, according to Graham, recently laid off two police department employees and two Municipal Development Department employees. This coming after the city council voted to raise the county option income tax, or COIT, by 0.5 percent, which would mean an extra $200 annually in taxes for a Madison County resident earning $40,000.
The county council, meanwhile, voted Thursday to lay off 25 employees, which could save about $1 million in the budget, according to council member Gary Gustin. The council also requested that the judges give back $2,000 of their $5,000 stipend, and the judges complied. Judges had come under public pressure to forfeit the money after they objected to the council’s original vote to do away with the stipend, saying it was a matter of violating the state’s constitution, which says that sitting judges cannot have their pay reduced.
Voluntary pay cuts are important symbolically, but they barely make a dent in the anticipated $3.8 million budget deficit the county faces. Layoffs were a grim necessity.
Personnel and budget cuts at both the city and the county are good signs that officials understand their responsibility to the taxpayer. However, the seemingly unstoppable march toward increasing the COIT tax indicates they still aren’t committed to making government as lean as possible.
Anderson and Alexandria city councils have both approved the potential 0.5 percent increase, meaning it will take effect countywide if the county council or the Elwood city council pass it, too. The county council will consider Monday on whether to increase the COIT tax.
Council members need to step back and reevaluate the situation. Do they really want to add more local taxes when unemployment is high and folks across Madison County are already dealing with pay cuts, devalued investments and other financial hardships?
Yes, government personnel cuts and pay cuts are painful to those who endure them. But, given that government exists to serve people – and not the other way around – the budgets shouldn’t be balanced on the backs of taxpayers.
Editorials
Editorial: City, county job cuts a painful necessity
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Editorial: AHS grad rates moving up, must be pushed ever higher
A diploma is a must, but it has to mean something. Anderson High School must do this the right way, not cutting corners and passing students through classes, but making them accountable for learning the subject matter.
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Editorial: With changes to program, why not begin recycling?
The public has to understand the importance of recycling aluminum and steel cans, cardboard, glass, newspapers and certain plastics. Besides minimizing a community’s waste, recycling saves energy, natural resources and the environment.
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Editorial: Reality returns after Super Bowl mania
While we loved what the Super Bowl did for our reputation, it’s time to get back to the real world. Let’s recap the lost week.
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You Said It: About contract, 'Teen Mom,' State of the City
Each Monday, The Herald Bulletin publishes “You Said It,” a compilation of reader comments from www.theheraldbulletin.com, coupled with responses by the newspaper’s editorial board.
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Editorial: Smith speech shows mayor aiming high
The bottom line in Mayor Kevin Smith’s State of the City address Tuesday during the Anderson Rotary Club’s luncheon at Anderson Country Club was simple: To attract investment, you have to make investments.
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Editorial: Bill offered by state Senate honors Fourth Amendment
No law is ever going to rid domestic situations of their subjectivity, but people have a right to be secure in their homes, and the police need to keep this in mind when they come knocking.
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Editorial: Burton's retirement was overdue
Dan Burton has been a fixture in Indiana politics for nearly a half century. A staunch Republican, Burton made waves in the Statehouse and in Congress, but now it’s over. Burton recently announced his retirement and will not seek re-election in Indiana’s District 5.
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Editorial: Tempered excitement for call-center jobs is prudent
Immediately after city officials announced the location of a new call center in Anderson on Jan. 25, the “Yeah, buts ...” started.
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Editorial: Trigger law would give parents too much power
If the state is going to push for charter schools, it has to be a measured action with plenty of debate. There is a reason why the term trigger-happy has negative connotations. It means a knee-jerk reaction with little thought.
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You Said It: About Grandview, new Colts coach and the APA incident
The Anderson Parks board has created a committee to study options for Grandview Golf Course and its restaurant. (Article published Jan. 17.)
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