Editor,
I’ve read with interest the fact that Hamilton Co., during the 2015 operating year, was so thrifty the various county departments and operations came in under budget at $20,300,000.
In some circles this would be commendable if a suggested budgeting process was not being used. As an example, a budget written with this much fat is, in reality, not a budget but merely a spending plan.
The non-government business entity writing a budget as suggested could not survive. In other words, those “rainy day funds and surpluses,” as last checked, were taxpayer dollars.
Why not reduce the tax rates and the respective department budgets, which may just address the bad budgeting practices involving budgets that result in an additional annual surplus of $20,300,000.
Zero based budgeting or a similar process will assist in presenting more realistic and functioning budget benefiting all taxpayers!
Jim Williams
Noblesville