Walton County Corrections on Agenda

[choctawjesse]

Now I believe your a plant, if you know what you claim you know and have been here any length of time you know who the players were in the day. You just seemed to be opposed to Sara and you don't seem to be all that concerned with the others. Secondly, I heard rumor long time ago and I don't go back that far, but is Brannon and Adkinson related somewhere along the line? Maybe you can answer that.

If you are really for the employees you would know who is right and who is wrong. Last year the employees did not get a raise again because three commissioners refused to even go up to the roll-back rate. Brannon and Larry Jones voted for the rate and Commander, Pridgen and C. Jones voted against. This year is heading the same way, cuts in budget, no help or raises on a 3-2 vote. Cuchens can't be any worse for employees. Talk to employees.

 

[wrobert]

If you are really for the employees you would know who is right and who is wrong. Last year the employees did not get a raise again because three commissioners refused to even go up to the roll-back rate. Brannon and Larry Jones voted for the rate and Commander, Pridgen and C. Jones voted against. This year is heading the same way, cuts in budget, no help or raises on a 3-2 vote. Cuchens can't be any worse for employees. Talk to employees.

State employees have not gotten a raise for five years, private employees same and many have taken pay cuts. County BCC employees enjoy some of the highest wages and benefits in the area. Raising taxes, even a little bit in a recession is not good policy. The level of activity for everyone including government is significantly lower than in the past, yet no recurring expenses have been significantly cut. Once government shows it is trying to be efficient, then I believe the people will be more willing to give more, but until then. Suck it up, buttercup.

 

[lazin&drinkin]

Glad to see then that you will no longer be supporting Obama.

Right on, Brother!

 

[lazin&drinkin]

There is a citizen's initiative process for municipal government, charter government (if included), and State government. On the surface, it does not appear that there is one for home rule counties, such as Walton, unless you take the tactic of going to a charter then include it.

But I am still researching the process for an interested group of citizens, trying to see if there is a way that this can be done. Otherwise to get on the ballot, you need three votes. So far, I have not been able to count that high.

If I can find a way, would you be interested in seeing it done? Probably going to take approximately 4,000 verified elector signatures to get it on the ballot. I have the costs covered for verification, getting the people to work to get the signatures is going to be the hard part.

I'm willing to work and recruit others to do the same.

 

[Bob Wells]

If you are really for the employees you would know who is right and who is wrong. Last year the employees did not get a raise again because three commissioners refused to even go up to the roll-back rate. Brannon and Larry Jones voted for the rate and Commander, Pridgen and C. Jones voted against. This year is heading the same way, cuts in budget, no help or raises on a 3-2 vote. Cuchens can't be any worse for employees. Talk to employees.

I am for the employees and will always be, but if you think that voting for an increase for the sake of an increase is the way to endear yourself to the taxpayer then you, Scot and Larry are nuts. I am for the employees keeping their jobs and services not being cut and benefits not being cut. It would be great if pay raises were in the cards but they are not. People already don't believe that public employees deserve what they earn, including wrobert in many cases. Sometimes you just have to sit and wait. There are other items that could be on the table, but what Amendment One did and chances are you voted for it, is one of the reasons we are in the position as a county and a State we are in. You need to look beyond the County officials and look at some of the State Representative and Senator we continue to elect, not representing us as much as a party the belong to. All these folks that feel it is so easy to make the cuts need to figure out what services they are willing to jettison.

 

[lazin&drinkin]

State employees have not gotten a raise for five years, private employees same and many have taken pay cuts. County BCC employees enjoy some of the highest wages and benefits in the area. Raising taxes, even a little bit in a recession is not good policy. The level of activity for everyone including government is significantly lower than in the past, yet no recurring expenses have been significantly cut. Once government shows it is trying to be efficient, then I believe the people will be more willing to give more, but until then. Suck it up, buttercup.

Well and succinctly put. Thanks.

 

[idlewind]

State employees have not gotten a raise for five years, private employees same and many have taken pay cuts. County BCC employees enjoy some of the highest wages and benefits in the area. Raising taxes, even a little bit in a recession is not good policy. The level of activity for everyone including government is significantly lower than in the past, yet no recurring expenses have been significantly cut. Once government shows it is trying to be efficient, then I believe the people will be more willing to give more, but until then. Suck it up, buttercup.

You are on the money with caveats. The debate must happen as to what services government should provide. While construction is down and the effected departments have lower activity, I have seen no slack in demand for roads to be maintained or built and certainly no reduction in the need for beach services. Taxpayers are frustrated by taxes and in these times it is unwise to remove more funds from the private sector. But most also resist user fees as well. Remember the library debate a few months back?. On the other hand, the employees have valid issues and ignoring them is unwise as well. We need a public debate on these issues once and for all.
As to this specific debate it is clear that Mr. Glidwell at least attempted to operate more efficiently and the Sheriff slammed him for it. Apparently the BCC decided the Sheriff was right. So the signal being sent is do more with less but if someone objects we will make the employee the sacrificial lamb. I am sure every county employee in a responsible position is scratching their head and wondering when they will be next. Therefore they find themselves in a catch-22, they cannot ask for more money because taxes cannot be raised but if a problem arises they will be blamed. And if worst comes to worst the taxpayers will say "suck it up buttercup." Makes me very happy I work for myself. I like you cannot imagine working in such an environment.

 

[TheZohan]

Right on

A public debate would be great to ask one on one

 

[wrobert]

You are on the money with caveats. The debate must happen as to what services government should provide. While construction is down and the effected departments have lower activity, I have seen no slack in demand for roads to be maintained or built and certainly no reduction in the need for beach services. Taxpayers are frustrated by taxes and in these times it is unwise to remove more funds from the private sector. But most also resist user fees as well. Remember the library debate a few months back?. On the other hand, the employees have valid issues and ignoring them is unwise as well. We need a public debate on these issues once and for all.
As to this specific debate it is clear that Mr. Glidwell at least attempted to operate more efficiently and the Sheriff slammed him for it. Apparently the BCC decided the Sheriff was right. So the signal being sent is do more with less but if someone objects we will make the employee the sacrificial lamb. I am sure every county employee in a responsible position is scratching their head and wondering when they will be next. Therefore they find themselves in a catch-22, they cannot ask for more money because taxes cannot be raised but if a problem arises they will be blamed. And if worst comes to worst the taxpayers will say "suck it up buttercup." Makes me very happy I work for myself. I like you cannot imagine working in such an environment.

I think the first thing they are going to have to do is take a serious, and I mean serious look at each and every position. From the Sheriff's report, you can ascertain that the DOC had a position that was focused on accredidation. So now that Glidewell has retired, like Sunday run things and take those dollars and high two more people. One can do the accredidation and one can augment the staff.

We have two people, it seems, working in Planning in director type positions. Do we need two nowadays? Some things are never going to have a lower level of activity. Tag registrations, voter services, things of that nature. Land title work has just changed from sales to foreclosures, so those people are needed. Crime appears to be down in the State, not sure about Walton County. CFS to the 911 system is reportedly down. Really, if you think about it, without a cut in services, Planning/Zoning/Building is about the only place where activity is down across the board. And just how much of that is in the regular budget? If those offices were being ran as self-pay, cutting them would have little to no affect on things.

One thing that is very disconcerting is that in the good times, the county incurred $39 million in debt that we will be working on until 2019. Working on getting up the who, what, where, why, and how of that.

 

[idlewind]

I think the first thing they are going to have to do is take a serious, and I mean serious look at each and every position. From the Sheriff's report, you can ascertain that the DOC had a position that was focused on accredidation. So now that Glidewell has retired, like Sunday run things and take those dollars and high two more people. One can do the accredidation and one can augment the staff.

We have two people, it seems, working in Planning in director type positions. Do we need two nowadays? Some things are never going to have a lower level of activity. Tag registrations, voter services, things of that nature. Land title work has just changed from sales to foreclosures, so those people are needed. Crime appears to be down in the State, not sure about Walton County. CFS to the 911 system is reportedly down. Really, if you think about it, without a cut in services, Planning/Zoning/Building is about the only place where activity is down across the board. And just how much of that is in the regular budget? If those offices were being ran as self-pay, cutting them would have little to no affect on things.

One thing that is very disconcerting is that in the good times, the county incurred $39 million in debt that we will be working on until 2019. Working on getting up the who, what, where, why, and how of that.

Debt? If memory serves I have read for years that Walton County had no debt and that the improvements made in the last few years were paid for as they occurred. So where did 39 million go?