I've been reading and listening to the news concerning the County Commissioners' decision to cut the salaries of county employees by 7 percent to cover the shortfall of the county's budget of $750,000.
As I understand it, this salary cut is in addition to an increase of 3 percent for insurance coverage for county employees. If you add those two items together, each county employee will be bringing home 10 percent less in wages. How many of us can stand a 10 percent decrease in our income at this time? Would the commissioners or the council members like to have a decrease in their salaries of this amount? What if both wage earners in a family work for the County? County workers are not overpaid to begin with and now their wages are being cut? Will this cut force some employees into foreclosure or bankruptcy? How will it affect those with family members that have severe medical problems?
Kosciusko is one of the richest counties in the state as witnessed by the $2.5-million "rainy day fund." The county departments work for the good of all the residents of the county and now our county government is expecting the same people that work for the good of all to cover the shortfall for all county residents? Why not have all the residents of the county cover the shortfall by dipping into the "rainy day fund." I certainly agree with Captain Rovenstine that this is a "rainy day" for Kosciusko County, especially if we are asking a few to pay the piper for the many.
I think that the ad hoc committee of everyday citizens is a great idea, but that committee should look for ways to raise funds as well as to cut unneeded items. The committee should include citizens from each township so that the entire county is represented. Let's work together as a county and make Kosciusko County a better place to live and work for all.
