One Citizen's Priority List for 2010

As we start this new year, there is some unfinished business that I'd like to see resolved by our county legislative authority.

1. Settling the contracts with 10 of 11 bargaining units must be given a top priority. The commissioners may not like working with unions but they are a fact of life in the county and must be dealt with.

2. Holding a budget workshop that focuses on the Belfair Waste Water Treatment Facitlity. This one project constitutes more than one third of the county's total 2010 budget. And the citizens and taxpayers were not provided detailed information on this project prior to the Dec 7, 2009 budget hearing. Now we need to hear the plan for how they are going to spend this money.

3. Developing and adopting comprehensive procedures for the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee is important because there is a loss of public trust associated with this fund. Standard procedures must be adopted that will eliminate any appearance of a conflict of interest and include clear criteria for accepting or rejecting proposals to enhance tourism in the county.

4. Selecting and purchasing a replacement for the obsolete financial software currently being used by the Auditor's office would go a long way toward increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of how our tax dollars are received and spent. The commissioners' have given Public Works the green light to purchase new financial software for their use. It sure appears to me they have the cart before the horse. Let's get the overall county system in place first or do both Public Works and the Auditor's office all at the same time.

5. Returning the $200K taken from the Mental Health Fund in 2009 in order to run the day to day business of the county. The transfer of this money continues to be scrutinized by the State Auditor's office. These dollars were set aside to help those who have nearly no advocates in this county. The same authority to put the revenue into the Mental Health Fund is the same authority used for collecting revenue for the Veteran's Fund - a fund with outspoken advocates. No one would propose taking precious funding from Veterans.

6. Fixing the Accrued Leave Balance Fund so that it is sustainable. Mason County citizens have an unfunded bill hanging over our heads in excess of $2M. This has been allowed to occur by our commissioners even while they violated a county resolution that requires them to be on track to get this 100% funded.

This is my short list of priorities for the Board of County Commissioners. When you see the commissioners, ask them what their plans are for the new year.