Pay attention; it's county budget time

It's county budget meeting time in Bonner County. We opened this year with Planning Department, Kendra Smith, spending money before they have it by raising your taxes. Leased vehicles aren't good enough and only wanting new without cost consideration and Road and Bridge have obsolete 30- to 40-year-old trucks on the road.

Expectations to fly volunteers all over the country to seminars. Volunteers aren't not tax dollar recipients in the budget. Volunteers and paid staff need to eliminate travel in lean years. And expecting larger than national average pay increases across the board.

The state of Idaho reduced staff and spending by nearly 20%, and the federal government reduced over 50% of the workforce. It's time for the Republican county officials to follow suit and reduce staff and spending. These are lean years and taxpayers expect Bonner County to live within the budget and reduce the budget not expand it feeding out of our pockets.

Watch your county at work and important decisions available on YouTube. The meetings will go on for at least a few weeks, and each department director must present their budget demands. Contact your county commissioners. These are your tax dollars.

SUZANNE GLASOE

Sandpoint