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Writer offers two cents on local issues
Letter to the editor
Letter to the Editor generic
Editor:

Some thoughts.
None of the county commissioners have responded to the repeated public call to publicly justify their vote to raise their stipend by 111 percent. Commissioner Pat Bowen voted nay from jump street.
The Georgia General Assembly didn’t pass SB 254 which would have given our sorely underpaid sheriff’s deputies a pay increase. So, for at least the next year our friends and neighbors who wear that uniform and face extreme danger 24 hours a day are denied their just due.
Perhaps that 111 percent stipend increase should go to supplement our brave sheriff’s deputies.
The board of education members, minus member Marcus Scott, voted against a forensic audit of the “system’s finances that were in shambles” necessitating the firing of finance officer Reese. That raises a question: were there really “shambles” or was that just an excuse to unlawfully fire Mr. Reese. No forensic audit (and no shambles) is probably a great argument for Mr. Reese’s attorney who has brought civil action.
Liberty County taxpayers are ultimately going to pay. Probably should have waited for his contract to expire then replace him, kinda a like former Super Lee. Oh wait those same members voted to unnecessarily give Super Lee $190,000 when she left. Probably should have saved that money to pay the lawsuit Mr. Reese will probably win. Too little, too late, members.
Liberty voters should remember to vote to stop this madness.
Former City Manager Billy Edwards is now re-employed in Bryan County. Some city council members apparently had a personal grudge with Mr. Edwards (you can hear the evidence tapes on the Courier archives). Those members couldn’t fire him for cause without a resulting court action, but agreed to pay him to walk away, in essence paying two folks to do the same job with city taxpayers’ money.
Hinesville voters should remember to vote to stop this madness.
Juvenile court expenditures are way above budgeted monies to date, this due to state mandated legislative change four years ago. Commissioners you didn’t pickup on this change four years ago and make projected adjustments, but you believe you a 111 percent increase to your stipend is justified. Another case of the ostrich with his head in the sand who raises up just in time for dinner?
What a joy to see the images of the matriarchs of Trade Hill, ‘Ms Anna’ and ‘Ms Venus’ on the front page. God has blessed me by letting me know these most gracious ladies.
The county budget has more than doubled in the last dozen years yet the finance department has fewer employees now than in 2002 when the budget was $11.5 million. Commissioner Thrift deemed the printed monthly report “unacceptable.”
What’s unacceptable is the commissioners (minus Bowen) who voted themselves a 111 percent increase but couldn’t identify personnel shortages this drastic when they reviewed the annual budget for the last 16 years. Ostrich/sand/dinner.
Liberty voters, remember this as well and vote.

Bruce A McCartney
Trade Hill community






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