Before I read the article about Sheriff Sean Smith, front page on Oct. 8 (“Office saves $2M in 3 years”), I was thinking of voting for Charles Hamby. But cutting staff, saving money getting outside funding, all sounds good to me.
However, to end the article with a quote from a county commissioner once again using the battle call of “our property taxes are lower than anywhere else in the state” ruined the previous good news of a department in the county being fiscally responsible.
Perhaps our county commissioners should have a heart-to-heart with Sheriff Smith and have him teach them how to stay within budget and use what they’re given. Then they could visit an economist who could explain that property taxes are not the total sum of what it costs to live in a community. The comparison must be a cost of living, and take into account all the other taxes and fees the county places on its citizens.
Maybe then they can balance the county budget and live within their means the way the citizens have to.
Pat Wainwright
Hesperus
