Budget cutting recommendations for Walton County

[TheZohan]

Maybe motion lighting and if solar panels were not so expensive or solar lighting

 

[TheZohan]

More fuel efficient vehicles would be one solution

 

[scooterbug44]

How about changing the AC settings from "meat locker"?

 

[GoodWitch58]

I wonder if the County has ever considered an Intern Program to handle some of the "staff" work. College or high school students that would work a few hours each week to assist Commissioners or their staff. The students would get valuable training and hopefully credit for some classes--do an Independent Project--and the county would benefit from not paying a staffer. It seems to work quite well in many places. Just an idea.

 

[Danny Glidewell]

Many of these ideas have been discussed for some time. I know the WCTA has advocated many of them every budget cycle. The vast majority have merit and should be considered. Another great idea would be to move away from the big SUV's for ordinary staff transport and begin to purchase smaller vehicles that get much better mileage.
The one idea I really am uncomfortable with is the furloughing of employees. Many county employees are barely making a living wage and thanks to the changes in the retirement system have just taken a 3% pay cut. These same employees have not received a cost of living increase in 4 years and we all know how fuel and grocery costs have exploded. I think a more appropriate avenue would be to seriously examine the level of staffing and reduce those levels through attrition. But if furloughs are absolutely required they should be restricted to the upper management and leave the line workers alone.

 

[wrobert]

Many of these ideas have been discussed for some time. I know the WCTA has advocated many of them every budget cycle. The vast majority have merit and should be considered. Another great idea would be to move away from the big SUV's for ordinary staff transport and begin to purchase smaller vehicles that get much better mileage.
The one idea I really am uncomfortable with is the furloughing of employees. Many county employees are barely making a living wage and thanks to the changes in the retirement system have just taken a 3% pay cut. These same employees have not received a cost of living increase in 4 years and we all know how fuel and grocery costs have exploded. I think a more appropriate avenue would be to seriously examine the level of staffing and reduce those levels through attrition. But if furloughs are absolutely required they should be restricted to the upper management and leave the line workers alone.

Until upper management starts to manage you are going to consistently have a problem. Making a guy supervisor over two employees and then using that to give him a $2K a year raise is a bit absurd. Those are dollars that can be used to help all the line workers, instead of just picking ones related to someone in power.

 

[idlewind]

Until upper management starts to manage you are going to consistently have a problem. Making a guy supervisor over two employees and then using that to give him a $2K a year raise is a bit absurd. Those are dollars that can be used to help all the line workers, instead of just picking ones related to someone in power.

Sounds like a great place to start cutting. Sort of like part-time employees having two assistants. And paying someone 30 miles travel pay when they are supposed to live a couple of miles from their office. Etc. etc. etc.

 

[scooterbug44]

I think paying anyone to travel to their daily job is a total crock.
I also think hiring people who don't live in the area and paying them travel expenses to do that job is also stupid as hell.

 

[idlewind]

I think paying anyone to travel to their daily job is a total crock.
I also think hiring people who don't live in the area and paying them travel expenses to do that job is also stupid as hell.

Welcome to Walton County.

 

[Alan Osborne]

Not Everybody

And that is the real shame. Even if a good person runs by the time they have sold their soul to raise that kind of money they are no longer the person they were. The special interests win either way.

When I ran for office, I never offered any special intrest group anything but fair and impartial leadership with some commomn sense mixed in. Although I came in second I left the election process with a clear conscience. It was the people who approched me during the election that had no ethics, lots of corruption and undue influence appeared to run rampant. Had I known and spent time with Bob Hudson prior to our both running for the district, I would have bowed out as I believe in my heart that ethier one of us would have exposed any unlawful practices.
What we need is honesty, guts and leadership in our county and my opinion our current commission doesn't offer any of that, just the same ole good ole network. You just won't know the truth until you run for office and look like you might win, then you'll find out how politricks work in this county.