If Walter Mitty, literature’s most famous daydreamer, were a county official he may have stepped back from the fray and wondered what he would so with a surprise 5 percent budget surplus. County News wondered too, and asked a random sample of county officials what they would use their surplus for. Here are some of their responses.
Restoring cash reserves in various funds, capital or other non-recurring expenditures, including one time pay incentives for employees that have not had increases in pay for 3 years.
— Roman Abeyta
County Manager
Santa Fe County, N.M.
Catch up on the many items postponed due to a prolonged period of budget cuts such as needed repairs to courthouse, public buildings, and historic monuments. I would like to bring back the public safety positions cut over the past 5 years.
— John Blum
County Chairman
Stephenson County, Ill.
Employee raises!
— Donald McDaniel
County Manager
Gila County, Ariz.
Advance a capital project to an earlier start than proposed within the capital improvement plan.
— Bradley Arnold
County Administrator
Sumter County, Fla.
We would have to return all but 20 percent of the operating budget to the taxpayers.
— Betsy Fitzgerald
County Manager
Washington County, Maine
1) Extend centralized water and sewer lines to unserved neighborhoods across the county.
2) Restore cutbacks in social service, health, housing, and human service programs to special-needs populations across the county.
— Don Brown
County Administrator
Franklin County, Ohio
Reserve against anticipated losses in revenue over the next few years.
— Craig Weinaug
County Administrator
Douglas County, Kan.
First would be compensation for those who have performed for the last four years without raises; secondly for infrastructure repairs that have not been done due to the massive expenditures we have incurred from flooding.
— Dennis Drake
County Chairman
Washington County, Utah
Most of it would go back in our undesignated fund balance and the rest toward increasing staff in our Technology department and toward another sheriff’s deputy on the road.
— Dick Koeppen
Board Chairman
Waupaca County, Wis.
Road improvement and road equipment purchases.
— Marty Malone
County Chairman
Park County, Mont.
A rainy day fund.
— Kevin O’Malley
County Chairman
Clear Creek County, Colo.
Personnel recognition — merit increases and performance bonuses.
— Jesse Smith
County Manager
Montrose County, Colo.
Putting more deputies on the street would be number one. Helping our local schools and improving infrastructure for economic development would balance out my wish list.
— Steve Soeth
County Chairman
Glenn County, Calif.
Wheel loader.
— Mike Tuerk
County Chairman
Keya Paha County, Neb.
Catch up on Road resurfacing projects.
Pay off high-interest debt currently outstanding.
Upgrade analog radio communication systems to digital.
— Michael Vandersteen
County Board Chair
Sheboygan County, Wis.