Copyright H. Berry and BentonCounty.info
Each week I will issue the main objectives of one plank in my platform.
VISION OF
EXCELLENCE
For
MISSION STATEMENT
for
Provide an opportunity for everyone to know, understand
and monitor how their tax dollars are spent.
Facilitate and maintain complete openness regarding all government activity.
Restore confidence and reinstate the real meaning of public servant.
Always respect and give equal treatment to every citizen in
Encourage participation in government. Always format issues for discussion
and provide a state of the county report each year.
MY PLATFORM
I WILL…
1.Adopt a budget law. I like 1993.
2.Perform a full audit of the books in addition to the Comptroller’s
audit.
3.Implement real time reporting of all county funds.
4.Not chair the
5.Enforce all laws to the full extent of the office.
6.Push for a C.P.A. on the Budget Committee.
7.Respect the Open Records Law.
8.Concede that the
9. Make better use of the two remaining jewels of the county, schools and the
Electric system.
10.Form Ad Hoc committees as needed.
11.Organize issues for discussion.
12.Provide timely news releases about issues.
13.Not participate in the county health plan thus saving the county $4,320 a
year.
14.Return 15% of the salary to non-profits in our county.
15.Start a Dutch Treat supper as a venue for public debate.
16.Develop a disaster recovery plan for county government.
17.Review litigation involving our county and report the impact.
18.Act to resolve problems before they become lawsuits.
19.Change methods used to perform capital improvements.
20.Plan for unfunded mandates.
21. Make short and long range plans for future growth.
22. Remember at all
times that you decide at what level you wish government to be funded.
You’re the boss.
23. Work to retain
and acquire teachers.
24. Pay one percent
of grants received to the educator that applied for the grant.
25. Eliminate out of
pocket expenses for teachers.
26. Promote litter
campaign K-12.
UPDATE:
Some of the major
problems we have are poor bookkeeping and a set of books that do not balance. I
propose that we use general accounting practices and that we conduct our
business in a timely manner. I will ask the commission to adopt the Local
Option Budgeting Law of 1993. The main benefits derived from this adoption
would be the removal of the school system from political play i.e. hostage. The
other is a time line for the annual budget. If the commission fails to act on
time then things go automatic.
LET’S TAKE BACK
OUR COUNTY!
REF: T.C.A. 5-12-201
thru 5-12-217
5-12-210. Adoption of
budget, tax rate and appropriation resolution
(a) The county legislative body shall each
year adopt a budget, tax rate and appropriation resolution on or before twelve
o'clock midnight (12:00) of the earlier of the date provided in any private
act, or applicable under the County Financial Management System of 1981,
compiled in chapter 21 of this title; or applicable under the County Budgeting
Law of 1957, compiled in part 1 of this chapter; or July 31, for the fiscal
year beginning on the first day of such July. Nevertheless, if the budget, tax rate
and appropriation resolution are not adopted by the county legislative body on
or before twelve o'clock midnight (12:00) on June 30 for the ensuing fiscal
year, all departments and offices of the county may make expenditures according
to the budget of that department or office as adopted for the preceding fiscal
year, except that such departments and offices are limited to expenditures and
obligations based on a monthly allotment from the preceding fiscal year's
budget.
(b)If the county
legislative body fails to adopt a budget, property tax rate resolution and
appropriation resolution by August 15 of any year, then the portion of the
consolidated budget for the county department of education, as proposed by the
board of education or modified with the agreement of the board of education,
and the accompanying property tax rate for education and the appropriation for
the county department of education, embodied in the submitted resolutions,
shall become effective by operation of law for the ensuing fiscal year. If the county legislative body fails to
adopt a budget, property tax rate resolution and appropriation resolution by
August 15 of any year, then the operating budget for the ensuing fiscal year,
other than the portion for the county department of education, shall be the
consolidated budget with proposed amendments submitted by the county mayor or
the budget committee.
UPDATE 1-9-06
2. Perform a full audit
of the books in addition to the Comptroller’s audit.
Government audits are
constrained by law and time. However, we have a real need to discover the
financial condition of our county.
I will not revisit at
this time all of the numerous violations reported by the Comptroller office
during the past ten years. Yet, it is these reports that point out the need. We
have agencies that never seem to have their books ready. Up until a few years
ago, some had never even done an audit. A report of the impact of current
grants and capital outlays on the taxpayers does not exist. A plan is not in
place to review pending and future grants. In fact, I have never seen a plan of
any kind. We must start from the ground up, sweep and mop, and then build a
“glass” court house.
Viable plans for the present and future needs of
LET’S TAKE BACK
OUR COUNTY!
UPDATE 1-16-06
I WILL…
3.
Implement real time reporting of all county funds.
We must move toward real time monitoring of
public funds. The taxpayer has every right to know how their money is
spent. We can accomplish this by
placing the entire budget on an official
LET’S TAKE BACK OUR
COUNTY!
UPDATE 1-23-06
I WILL…
4. Not chair the
I feel that the separation of power is
essential to a successful government. The
LET'S TAKE BACK OUR COUNTY!
UPDATE 1-30-2006
5. Enforce all laws to
the full extent of the office.
We cannot continue to break the law because
of bad choices or because we have always “done it this way”. If you
do not like a particular law then work to change it. Until then enforcement of
the law will be the order of the day.
LET’S TAKE BACK
OUR COUNTY!
UPDATE 2-6-06
I WILL…
6. Push
for a C.P.A. On
the Budget Committee.
This is just a good
business practice. The accountant would be an adviser to the process. If we
cannot find a volunteer for this slot then we would call on this expert as
needed.
UPDATE 2-14-06
I WILL…
7.
Respect the Open Records Law.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The senseless actions on the part of the
current administration are indefensible. We have a right as well as a
responsibility to inform ourselves about what goes on in our government.
LET’S TAKE BACK OUR COUNTY
UPDATE 2-20-06
I WILL…
8. Concede that the
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Our Government by definition and design is
perpetual. Thus, the actions taken by any administration have the potential to
affect many generations. We therefore must always remember that government does
not produce anything but rather takes disposable income from the people’s
pockets with each tax increase. I will expect anyone who proposes a tax
increase to support by empirical evidence the need. The people have a right to
know, understand and have the last word on what services they want. In
addition, they have a right to decided how much money they want to spend on
each service.
LET’S TAKE BACK OUR COUNTY!
UPDATE 3-20-06
I WILL…
12.
Provide
timely news releases about issues.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I will use every
local outlet to keep the people informed. If we are talking about spending your
money, you are going to hear about it.
LET’S TAKE BACK OUR COUNTY!
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