Welcome MC citizen input

Madison County residents typically have lots to say about the county’s budget. Unfortunately, they tend to try and speak out only late in the budget formulation process, when things are almost “a done deal.”

We heard no “official” count on how many people attended last year’s final public hearing on the county’s budget, but it was quite a crowd. If you didn’t arrive early, you struggled to find a parking spot or place to sit. Every seat in the auditorium of the County Administration Center was filled and folks lined its walls and spilled out into the outer hallway 40 deep, according to one audience member.

But despite three hours of three-minute apiece comments by those who were able to speak -- many of whom argued against a big tax hike -- two weeks later supervisors OK’d a 13 percent tax hike – on top of a number of new fees.

Fast forward to this year and a new county budget. Back are the challenges of deciding what to fund, at what level and where to get the money to do it. No “funding fairy” has suddenly materialized, so the situation appears to be not unlike last year’s.

Surprisingly though, a public hearing last week on this year’s county budget process drew maybe 10 people, only four of whom spoke. It was over in about a half hour.

It’s a shame that participation in the Feb. 6 public hearing was so light. Sure, citizens still have a chance to sound off at a final public hearing on the new county budget – it will likely be at 7 p.m. April 10. But like last year’s final budget public hearing, this year’s will also probably offer somewhat of a competition in getting your voice heard.

Some said they couldn’t navigate through the big crowd last year to get to speak on time and others found it difficult to stand for so long. Even those who did get to speak wondered if supervisors were listening, since the supervisors generally didn’t comment or publicly react to what the speakers said.

Yes, it would have been nice if more citizens had spoken up on the budget at last week’s public hearing. Still, we hope all that can be done will be done to accommodate all the procrastinators likely to attend the April 10 final public hearing on the new county budget.

Many last year openly wondered why that packed 2011 final public hearing on the county budget wasn’t moved to a larger venue – maybe the larger auditorium at Madison County High School or the gym at Wetsel Middle School. We encourage officials this year to be proactive, expect another huge crowd and go ahead and schedule the public hearing for a larger site. (As it stands now, it is still tentatively scheduled to be 7 p.m. April 10 in the auditorium of the County Administration Center.)

Officials would also be wise -- if indeed another big tax hike is coming -- to make some sort of good faith effort to explain why they think such a hike is unavoidable. To just sit back and listen to the hearing’s speakers and not make a more overt effort to defend their actions, they silently send a message that their actions have no defense. Another tax hike will still be a bitter pill to swallow, but why not make it go down a little easier by trying to explain how you think it will lead to better overall economic health?

(Editor’s note: The day after the preceding appeared in The Eagle’s Feb. 16 print edition, it was announced the public hearing’s location had been moved to Madison County High School’s auditorium.)