Local gov't cuts difficult

Dear editor:

Adjusting local government to match declining economic conditions is difficult.

The national government can raise taxes, print money, borrow money against further generation's earnings, or downsize. State government can raise taxes, take the broad brush approach and take the 20 percent across-the-board cost cutting, or downsize. With local government the choices become fewer. Local government can raise taxes or down size.

With local government raising taxes is never easy and the trick taxes, like users' fees and surcharges, can only go so far. Local government's major cost is staff, much more so than goods and services. This makes the 20 percent across-the-board cuts unworkable, as some departments do not have 20 percent of their budget in goods and services and reducing 20 percent of a department's staff of three is difficult.

The good news in this difficult situation is local government must look at each department and see not what the department was contributing during the good times but what the department contributes in the bad times.

For example, during declining economic conditions more crime is committed so it is a bad choice to reduce law enforcement staff. Also, during declining economic conditions less housing starts are undertaken requiring less permitting and inspection, making reduction in planning and zoning staff a good choice. Not all departments are as easy as these, but it still needs to be done.

Are choices like these easy? No, are these choices necessary? Yes

Leonard Hutterman