When the Liberty County Precinct Commissioners held their final budget workshop on Wednesday we all had a chance to hear why the county is facing an approximate $5 million deficit for next year’s budget and is expected to use money from its cash reserves to have a balanced budget.
Two words are the best example of why we have this problem. “Todd Fontenot.”
Precinct 1 County Commissioner Fontenot objected to having a secretary removed from his maintenance department saying she has been critical to the operation of the maintenance department. The Democratic Commissioner says this position is needed and he will fight to keep it. Fontenot failed to say the position is held by one of the most active Democratic operatives in the county and that she happens to be best known in his commissioner area. He also failed to rebut allegations that the employee in question is not known for doing much and has had a dubious work experience in the past at best.
Fontenot just doesn’t seem to get the budget problems that years of his leadership have caused and the resolve that newly elected Republicans have to cut up the symbolic credit card of years past. Fontenot is also pushing for $81,000 that he had previously requested to construct a new maintenance and storage facility in the Dayton area. Fontenot and his Democratic buddies passed a screwy inefficient re-redistricting plan ten years ago that was more concerned with getting Democrats elected than watching out for taxpayer money. Now he wants this new building because the problems he was warned about years ago have come home to roost.
Fontenot has indicated he will “vote against the budget” in protest of taking his hand picked vote getter off of the payroll and to show disapproval of not getting a second county barn for his precinct.
Liberty County Judge Craig McNair was dissuaded by all of Fontenot’s impractical self centered rantings. The County Judge said the maintenance and operation of the courthouse could be placed under his operation rather than have Fontenot continue this kind of management. McNair was critical of Fontenot’s past performance and his fiscal irresponsibility of the department. McNair pointed to the poor handling of the replacement of the county jail air conditioning unit as an example of Fontenot’s legacy.
“I had to step up to the plate to get the jail situation moving,” said McNair.
Fontenot tried to fire back by criticizing McNair’s proposal to sell the old Wal-Mart building instead of turning it into county offices. But the infamous money pit Fontenot refers to was obtained while he was on commissioner’s court and McNair was still a local businessman and taxpayer. Fontenot seems oblivious to the fact that McNair was swept into office along with other Republicans to begin to clean up the mess he himself made.
“What are we going to do with a $1.8 million building?” Fontenot asked.
“We don’t have money to spend,” said McNair. “We are not going to get another credit card when we have three that we can’t pay. I didn’t get us into this debt, but I am tasked with getting us out of it.”
McNair repeated that he felt that the county maintenance department had not been well handled over the past several years.
Harold Seay, county auditor, noted that last year’s budget used $8 million from the county’s cash reserve fund balance and that this year, the county will probably use $5 million to balance the budget. Seay added remarks that seemed aimed at Commissioners Fontenot and Hunt.
“The old county judge did make the budget but you can’t just blame him,” said Seay. “The previous budgets were voted unanimously by the whole court.”
“I appreciate everyone coming,” said McNair. “I promise that we are listening and taking notes. I want to emphasize the seriousness of the situation with the economic crunch.”
McNair noted that while the meeting was the last budget workshop, his doors were still open for discussion from the county departments and he would also be discussing these issues on the phone with department leaders.
The final budget is expected to be prepared and voted on by the commissioner’s court on Sept. 13. Still no mention has been made of the other active Democratic operative that has for years enjoyed being rewarded for his hard work helping elect Democrats by being the honcho of the local HUD department. With little to nothing to recommend him, Willie Carter continues to hang on to the spoils of past Democratic Party domination of Liberty County.
Stay tuned. It appears as if our new officials are more interested in getting the job done for the people who pay the bills than all of the party politics and payoffs.
5 comments:
Thank You Judge McNair. Selling the old Wal-Mart building is a great way to get some of the Taxpayers money back. If the County doesn't have the money to renovate that money pit, then get rid of it. Sell it to someone who will re-open it with a buisiness and start paying property Tax on it, thus the County is making money on something it doesn't need and can not use.
Fontenot and Mike Little are everything that is wrong with Liberty County.
You are exactly right on. They are two of the Liberty Corrupt Mafia left in the Courthouse. It is time for those two to be gone.
What Obama is doing to the country fontenot is doing to the county.
I would also like to point out that Harold Seay hit the nail on the head when he balmed the entire previous court for voting the budgets into being. Mr. Seay is an honest county official and is a pleasure to speak with. Judge McNair, keep on doing what you are doing. We the TAXPAYERS appreciate it!
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