By Crystal Garcia
TERRE HAUTE — Moving to a four-day work week, discontinuing employees cell phones and eliminating take-home vehicles were the main suggestions tossed out at a public hearing about county government Tuesday.
Around 50 people gathered in the Vigo County Council chambers in the County Annex to voice concerns and suggestions for the council’s next budget, which is facing a $2.6 million deficit.
Larry Davis, a taxpayer, suggested the county pay mileage instead of having take-home vehicles because then there wouldn’t be any maintenance or insurance costs. He also suggested eliminating county employees’ cell phones.
Both of his suggestions were echoed through the 11/2-hour-long forum.
There are around 200 vehicles in the county’s fleet, but it was unclear how many were used as take-homes. Members of the council stated they planned to look into the matter.
Taxpayer Linda Morris suggested having four-day work weeks, in which employees would have nine-hour days for four days instead five, eight-hour days. Having county buildings closed for the fifth day could possibly save money from energy bills.
“We don’t need to be punished by having to pay more taxes,” she said.
Taxpayer Mike Collins agreed and added he didn’t want to attend another meeting only to hear about tax increases.
Bernard Ridens, executive director of the Vigo County Taxpayers Association, pointed out the budget deficit is not the fault of the council, but was a consequence of last year’s property tax relief bill, HB 1001.
Ridens encouraged everyone to attend the next crackerbarrel session at 10 a.m. Feb. 14 in the Vigo County Public Library to let their legislators know their concerns.
“We’re going to have to work harder and smarter,” Ridens said about finding solutions to the deficit problem.
Other in attendance made it clear raising taxes or cutting jobs should not be options.
“We’re all footing the bill, and it’s not fair,” said Stacey Todd, a recorder’s office employee, “but to cut jobs is really not fair because we all have kids and we’re all trying to survive.”
Her statement was met with applause.
Councilman Darrick Scott, D-2nd, said he understood the concerns, but couldn’t make any promises.
“House Bill 1001 was nothing but a sleight of hands; you saved in property taxes, but the state raised your sales taxes,” he said, noting members of his district in West Terre Haute are paying more in taxes this year than last year and are facing possible losses of a school and a library.
“… I don’t have any easy answers,” he said. “Cell phones, take-home cars, I’ll be the first one to tell you, we will address those with the teamwork of the commissioners. They’re the ones that set policy, we’ll work together and figure this out.”
Scott said as long as things are fine for some people, they don’t care what’s going on with their neighbors and hoped to see more people attend the next meeting to become more educated on the problems the county is encountering.
“Taxpayers need to be educated that it’s not this council’s fault,” he said. “We are going to do everything we can to save jobs, save employees, but I can’t make any promises … It’s going to be one tough year.”
He also encouraged taxpayers to call the legislators who voted for the bill.
Council president Kathy Miller, D-3rd, said she was pleased with the turnout and was glad to hear some of the public’s suggestions were already things the council was looking into.
“Several of the things that were mentioned, we had already looked at,” she said, “and it was nice to hear that some of the community were thinking of the same ideas and that means we’re on the right track.”
Questions posed at the forum will be researched and answers or updates are expected to be ready for the next public forum at 6:30 on March 10, she said.
“I’m pleased with the response, the turnout, the concern from the community,” Miller said. “I look forward to seeing more people in future meetings, continue working together with the commissioners and the city government to move forward.”
Crystal Garcia can be reached at (812) 231-4271 or crystal.garcia@tribstar.com.
