This week we learned that commissioners Main and Messerle have been unaware of $40 million of the county’s $54 million investment and deposit portfolio. As shocking as it is these sitting commissioners who are charged with managing the public’s treasure don’t know what or where the treasure is, its worse that the public is now being denied the services they have already paid for and that certain departments have been penalized for doing their jobs too well.
Part of these funds accumulated over time as unused amounts of budgeted items. For example, Department A had a $3 million budget one year but managed to perform their duties for $2.5 million. The following year Department A again had a $3 million budget and again operated under budget using only $2.75 million. Each year the unused funds were rolled into the county’s deposit accounts. In short, the investment funds grew as a direct result of the departments operating efficiently.
Unfortunately for the taxpayer who has prepaid for these services and the hapless public employees who did their best to provide public services and save the county money both are getting the shaft. Rather than tapping into these savings during budget shortfalls the commissioners have chosen to lay off staff from select departments, effectively punishing them for having performed efficiently in the past and the public is being denied prepaid services. The next audit report should carry a new line item under liabilities entitled “prepaid services past due”.
To add insult to injury appointed citizen advisory committees mostly populated by people with little or no experience in the public sector are reporting to the commission on ways to cut back on mandated public services.
One would think they should know but the problem with budgets is they tend to focus on income and expense and the investment funds are a balance sheet item
These two had to have known about the money. Messerle says he read the audit report.
Screwed? You think so? You ain’t seen nuthin’ yet. Why do you think Cam Parry and the tribe went back to Washington D.C. for the second time? They’re trying to get the federally owned Coos Bay Wagon Road land transferred to tribal control so they can eliminate 30 years of forest protection legislation, and cut, cut, cut.
That’s why Fred Messerle sits there silently holding his chin while Bob Main and Cam do their ‘Who’s On First’ routine during the BOC meetings. He’s salivating at the thought of chopping down all those trees, and he doesn’t want to drool on his stack of county employee pink slips.
Once again Bob Main, what the hell was so funny when a member of the public who pays your damn wages, brought this subject up at your meeting? Please Bob, tell us what tickled your fancy so much !!
What a work of art these clowns have become. Shame shame shame on every damn one of you.
I’ll vote for anyone else, and be happy to do so. Now perhaps we know who the real turd in the Assessors’ Punchbowl was !!