At a recent county commission meeting, there was a discussion about the declining county revenue, its effects and how to solve the issue.
After a commissioner candidate’s public comments, I posed a question on how she would deal with the budgetary shortfalls. She stated that she was making public comments and not answering my questions. The question should have been posed to both candidates in the room so as not to seem prejudicial, but it was a fair question as this was the discussion. The room was full of people who would have benefited from a concise answer, including proposed solutions. It was the perfect time to state their case in a public forum.
Our county is in a revenue decline that will not stop until resolutions are enacted to replace Kinder Morgan revenues. These types of questions need to be answered without any reservation. I challenge citizens to ask the hard questions and demand real answers. The decline of county revenues, in my opinion, is one of the most urgent items in our future. Budget cuts will be made if revenues do not change.
We need candidates who answer questions any time, any place, about any county issue. We don’t need candidates who dodge questions or don’t have proposed answers to the issues. The public needs champions to not only answer questions but fight for them. Right or wrong, county commissioner candidates need to take a stand on what they think the solutions may be.
Rob Pope
Cortez