At last nights Council meeting, we proposed an additional $750,000 in funding for repairs to county roads this spring and summer. This is in addition to the following certified budget amounts the Knox County Highway Department is receiving in 2014: 1. $2.45 Million: Highway Fund- these monies come from the $0.18 per gallon gas tax you pay at the pump and are distributed by the State. The Council has NO DISCRETION as to the amount of this fund. 2. $280,000: Local Road and Street- Another fund that comes from the State with no Council approval 3. $346,077: Cumulative Bridge: - Dittos on this fund...NO COUNCIL discretion 4.Plus, an estimated $725,000 in additional gas tax revenues from the State per the 2013-2014 budget. So, in addition to the approximately $3.8 Million in tax dollars that you are contributing to the Knox County Highway, the Council decided to set aside $750,000, or $250,000 for each of the three road districts due to the harsh winter and its effects on our county roads. As a part of the funding, we set up a three member bipartisan committee to review all projects submitted by the Commissioners prior to their funding. Commissioner Holscher berated the Council for requesting that a committee first review the projects. In effect, he said give me the money and do not ask questions, adding in an interview after the meeting that he’s unclear why the entity (county council), is pertinent in the decision making process for such projects.” I would like to help clear up why the Council is not just pertinent, but essential in matters pertaining to how tax dollars are spent. The Association of Indiana Counties,in summarizing Indiana Code, states that The council has the ultimate decision-making power regarding fiscal affairs. The council has authority to view or review fiscal matters, determine proper policy, and set priorities for the allocation and expenditure of county funds. In fact, the Indiana State Court of Appeals in Snider v. State ruled that The purpose in creating a county council was to provide a check on county business including the expenditures made by all county officers. Oversight of road funding expenditures falls neatly and squarely into the authority of the Councils role as the fiscal body, so we are clearly not overstepping our bounds. We simply asked the Commission to prioritize and compile the list of projects and then submit them to the committee for approval. Quite frankly, I thought they might appreciate the accountability and transparency of the process. I know I did. Apparently, the Commissioner would prefer total control. In order to have that kind of power, you might look to a different form of government than a Constitutional Republic. The writers of our 1816 State Constitution, much like the Framers of our National Constitution, understood ambition, power, and all those other less than Godly human characteristics that politics tends to bring out in people. That is exactly why they had the foresight to separate the administrative function of the County executive from the fiscal duties of the Council. In closing, I believe it is critical to understand that a Council members purpose is not to serve the will of the Commission, but the will of the people who directly elect us. If the Council was designed to shut up and write checks, we would be an appointed board serving at the pleasure of the Commission. Fortunately for you, the taxpayer, that is not the case.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 04:55:18 +0000
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