OPINION: Maynard’s words should echo loudly

That was the message this week from Jerry Maynard of Maynard & Bartlett Realty Group to the Barrow County Board of Commissioners and local city governments.

Cut spending deeply.

Maynard said the county should return to spending levels of 2002, about half of what the county government is now spending. To do that, he said local governments should cut the level of services they are now providing because the community simply can’t afford it any longer.

Coming from a man whose business has relied to a large extent on government infrastructure spending for new roads, water, sewer, schools, etc. Maynard’s comments should rattle every local government in Barrow County. If he sees an untenable future for more government spending, then there is a big problem.

Maynard also pointed out something that many in the business community have known, but didn’t say in the open: That many local government leaders are “out of touch” with the community because they are not businessmen, but rather retired government employees.

That bias is clear. Those who have come up through the government “bubble” really don’t have a clue as to the difficulties the local business community faces. They have no real experience in making payroll or dealing with other “real world” problems.

That’s why Winder, the county and other local government leaders continue to propose additional spending at a time when the community has a lack of resources to pay for their pet projects. Local government leaders are, as Maynard said, terribly out of touch.

Maynard said he warned the previous county administration about the impending crash in 2008, but that those leaders didn’t listen. The result has been tremendous turmoil in the county and extreme financial difficulties. This time, county and city leaders should heed Maynard’s warning.