EDITORIAL: BOC: Don't build a camel

There’s nothing wrong with seeking consensus on major decisions, but the newly-seated Barrow County Board of Commissioners will have to be very careful not to let the deficiencies of “committee-thinking” knock them off track in their need to cut county spending.

Tuesday night, the BOC tossed around several ideas to cut county spending, but no decision was made and no consensus emerged. That may not bode well for the county’s ability to get a handle on its financial crisis.

There are several points in this issue to consider:

--Every county agency has a constituency and its own advocates. But not every county agency is equal in importance. It’s up to the BOC to decide what its priorities are and to act accordingly.

--The BOC’s first responsibility isn’t to protect the jobs and benefits of its staff. Governments exist to serve the needs of the public. Cutbacks will be painful, but the board has to act in the public’s interest first, even if it affects some staff members.

--There is no perfect plan for making spending cuts. Several ideas are on the table for discussion. None are perfect. No matter what the BOC decides, someone will be hurt. The board should not let the lack of a perfect plan paralyze its ability to make a plan. Inaction is worse than an imperfect action.

--The county can’t make cuts without affecting people. The biggest expense in government is staff and if the county needs to cut spending, it can’t be done without also cutting payroll, somewhere, somehow.

--Time is of essence. The county is already into its fiscal year. A lengthy delay in cutting spending will only make the cuts that do come deeper and more difficult.

--Expect things to get worse. This economic crisis is the real deal, not a dry run. Plan for a worst-case scenario in revenues and hope that better times prove those conservative assumptions wrong.

Everyone has been hurt by the economic downturn. Just look around Barrow County at the small businesses and individuals who are struggling to stay afloat.

Local government is not exempt from that. There is no painless way to cut the size of county government, but everyone knows it has to be done.

This decision on county cuts is THE key test for the new BOC. What it decides now will set the tone for the next four years and beyond.

Strong, decisive and effective leadership today will strengthen the public’s confidence in the BOC.

But if the board gets bogged down and acts indecisive, the financial problems won’t get solved and the public’s confidence will erode.

Hopefully, the BOC won’t try to “build a camel” with this issue.