From the Harford Campaign for Liberty:
Now is the time to wake up, stand up and speak up on the financial condition of Harford County. At our March CFL Meeting, the Harford County Executive told us he was going to “have to” raise taxes next year!
This is YOUR opportunity to speak directly to the elected members of the County Council to let them know how you feel about the 2012 Harford County Budget. Here’s the budget information for this year. http://www.harfordcountymd.gov/Budget/
The County Council will hold public hearings at 6:30 PM on May 4, 2011 at North Harford High School and again at 6:30 PM on May 5, 2011 at Edgewood High School. This is YOUR opportunity to provide the County Council with your thoughts on what the County Budget should look like.
You may also contact your Councilperson to share your ideas. Here are their email addresses:
County Council President Boniface 410-638-3525
wkboniface@harfordcountymd.gov
District A, Councilman Guthrie 410-638-3521
dfguthrie@harfordcountymd.gov
District B, Councilman Woods 410-638-3520
jmwoods@harfordcountymd.gov
District C, Council McMahan 410-638-3523
jvmcmahan@harfordcountymd.gov
District D, Councilman Shrodes 410-638-3524
cshrodes@harfordcountymd.gov
District E, Councilman Slutzky 410-638-3522
rcslutzky@harfordcountymd.gov
District F, Councilwoman Lisanti 410-638-3526
malisanti@harfordcountymd.gov
Each of us has an idea on how to shape the County and thoughts on what you would like to see Harford County become. Now is not the time to hold onto your ideas or your thoughts. Now is the time to come forward. Share your vision with the Council and other residents of Harford County.
Every organization that lives off of the government will be out in force at these hearings begging for money– for new Convention Centers, Pay raises for government staff, and more money for “economic incentives.” Will YOU be heard?
You can be heard at these hearings. Bring your signs about smaller government. We need you!
Whether you like this budget or not, it is time to find real answers to fund the government. This budget is a starting point for the future. We cannot grow government with higher taxes. We must realize the we cannot continue to fund our government without finding ways to economize.
We all expect Good Governance.
We all insist upon Effective Government.
We all demand Efficient operations.
Now, we must all participate in the process.
If we do not, then we will only get what we have requested. NOTHING
WE WILL SEE YOU THERE!
P.S. Remember, this Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at 6:30PM at North Harford High School and this Thursday May 5, 2011 at Edgewood High– WE NEED YOUR HELP AT THE COUNTY COUNCIL BUDGET HEARINGS!
Will Parker says
Way to twist words… The County Executive said he would have no choice than to raise taxes if the teacher pension cost were shifted to the county! You need to talk to the governor and General Assembly. The county can do nothing regarding teacher’s pension.
C4L stop taking quotes out of context to serve your own twisted purpose.
frankly speaking says
the council should set the new rate to the constant yield which ensures that the county gets the same money as last year from property taxes and fund school system fully as well as county personnel to an acceptable level. The current proposal by the CE shortchanges county employees whom have been furloughed, paid more in benefits and pension as well as taken on additional duties as the county offered retirement incentives and those positions have not been filled.
Homeowners have already received a property tax cut by way of lower assessments, lower income taxes and lower fees for the past few years. The county has some serious infrastructure, building and capital projects which should not be funded ahead of the human resource needs the county must also keep in mind.
The county workforce has been reduced to barebones my many depts and service times for citizens has begun to suffer as there isn’t the manpower to meet the demand for services.
frankly speaking says
employees hired 3 to 4 years ago haven never received a pay raise and their pension contribution has more than doubled. Their work load has increased and many have left the county at an alarming rate and coupled with those that took retirement have decimated some depts to less than optimum levels which endanger safety, health and wellbeing of our citizens, customers and communities as well as employees. Employees have been harrassed by citizens demanding services and they are unwilling to wait for services and would like their needs met no matter what budget cuts are impossed on staff. One can’t have it both ways at the local level where a balanced budget is the law and HCG can’t provide services on demand that we used to provide in past years. Former coworkers have been threatened and verbally abused in some cases in which angry citizens demand help because “they pay taxes”, just not enough of these taxes are being devoted to compensation of employees and there are other ways to make more $$$ without being the local “bitch” to earn a paycheck.
Darwin Rules says
Frankly Speaking:
If you are paid by the taxpayers, then you are a public servant and need to put in a 100% effort to assure that the customer (i.e. taxpayer) is serviced. Otherwise, quit and go try to make your $$$ in the private sector.
I have no sympathy for the unionized public sector pensioned workers. We pay them very well to do a GREAT job, not just and adequate or mediocre job.
The Wisconsin governor has 20/20 vision regarding this issue. Would love to see collective bargaining end here as well.
frankly Speaking says
County employees are paid by HCG, not the taxpayers. The taxpayers pay HCG and employees are taxpayers too.
Enought is Enough says
Yep Scooter Walker’s answer to the budget problem in Wisconsin was to shift the debt to future generations. Now that’s really forward thinking.
Cdev says
I think his point is that there is not adaguete staffing to do the jobs to the level of satisfaction required by county citizens. Eventually things like this will result in greater costs due to cutting corners.
BTW there is no Collective Bargining in Maryland like there is in Wisconson!
frankly Speaking says
darwin-I don’t work for the county anymore, I own my business now.
People deserve to be paid a fair wage and if employees are doing more work within the same hours and demand has not decreased, then service times will suffer. Being a public servant is a job just like any other, at the end of the day one can only do a job so much more efficiently and time intensive tasks each case demands ensure that only so many people can be served effectively.
Public service does not equal work without demands or responsabilities. Our citizens deserve what they get and the county decides how the money is allocated, not the public servant. If you build buildings, roundabouts and parks, then the people managing those need to be paid also. Adding extra duties, tasks and responsabilities without adding more time (the county does not pay overtime) dictates that service times will increase as there is only so much that can be done in a days work.