It's Your Money

Our County Administration is again moving to reduce staff through a new employee “buy-out” program as they prepare for a further reduction in Ad Valorem tax receipts expected to fund the 2011 budget. The Property Appraiser’s evaluation for the next budget will be based on the total of property values as of 1 January 2010 and the expected figures do not look good. Over the past year, private property valuations have not inceased and knowledgeable estimates indicate that commercial property values are rapidly declining and will continue to do so. This, along with sales tax, fuel tax and other taxes/fees that have not yet recovered, will put significant additional pressure on the County’s future budgets. In addition, the Fire/Rescue contract with the County calls for a 5% + COLA increase and the Federal Grant money that supported hiring the 33 new firefighters last year will be significantly reduced.

We applaud this effort, and the reductions in the County’s paid time off policy reported last week, as valid attempts to stay ahead of the worsening situation. Reduction in staff may well be the most effective and politically acceptable short term solution. However, we continue to point out that reductions in staff are not necessarily the best way to go over the longer term. Reductions in salaries and benefits for new hires while revising schedules, overtime and promotion policies for current employees will provide a more rational and lasting solution.

It is absolutely critical to establish these new personnel policies and procedures and have them in place while the political will motivated by the current economic downturn is still with us.

1. Bring pay in line with both other government entities with which they compete for employees and with the local private sector, which has historically been underrepresented in these calculations. 

2. Review and either amend, reduce, or eliminate entirely, all HR practices and policies that are outdated, ineffective or unnecessary. Many are carryovers from days when local, state and federal workers were underpaid in comparison with employees in the private sector. This is no longer true and the county should take appropriate short and long term actions to correct these anomalies.

3. Consider new benefit packages that incorporate the good intentions of previous policies in a more cost effective parcel.

Many of the above changes will require renegotiation with the various unions in the county and the process should begin now.  We have seen the long term implications of unchecked changes in pay and benefits in California’s governments as well as the automobile, airline and railroads industries. Unless effective changes are actively and creatively engaged they will continue to generate problems with our County’s budgets. Taxpayers should not be held hostage to outdated benefit packages and raising taxes or creating new “fees” is definitely not the answer. Taking strong positions will be required and the unions should play an active part in the solution, not considered to be part of the problem.

We have recommended for years that all union negotiations and even senior personal employment contracts with the County be accomplished by outside professionals. It has been the top item on our annual wish list for the County for many years. The effort appeared successful when the previous administrator attempted to hire such a consultant for this purpose over two years ago. It was killed by the County Commission. Maybe increased voter awareness during this period of economic challenges will make our new Commission more astute in their handling of the County’s “negotiations”.

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We also applaud the Martin County School Superintendent’s efforts in forming the District’s new KEY (Kids Education and You) Committee. This group consisting of invited community leaders from local governments, law enforcement, business, nonprofit organizations and groups such as ours had their first organizational meeting last week. The main purpose of the committee is to allow members of the community to view and understand the operation of their school district and in return provide insight, ideas and perspectives from those outside education oriented organizations. This is a refreshing change from the District’s previous operating policy. Too many times in the past we were fed just enough data to draw erroneous conclusions and then criticized for them. We like to think that at least a part of the motivation for this new committee comes from the community interest brought on by televising School Board meetings and the resulting public viewing/awareness of district issues. We are proud to have been a major part of that endeavor and thank Martin County MCTV - channel 20 and Ms Kline for her early and continuing support.