As 2004 ends, we see a number of interesting stories that all relate to taxes and spending. First, it appears that over the past two years, Johnson County has spent over $1 million more than it has taken in. Total county expenditures appear to be in the range of $11 million. Much of the increased expenditure is attributed to increased costs at the Sheriff’s Department, citing such things as gas costs and jail-related expenses. Jail-related costs won't be decreasing any time soon, since the jail issue was defeated in August. We can only hope that something is done before we have a jailer injured in a jail-break such as happened in Henry County.

Meanwhile, the Commission is being sued by a couple of other county office holders over who has the authority to approve pay raises for staff who work directly for the other offices. The County is also involved in the Regional Planning Commission, which was justified by citing the need for coordination to get highway work done; now the RPC is adding more staff to work on "economic development."

Government does not create its own money; it extracts it from the citizens. We citizens depend on our elected officials to manage our money effectively; let us hope that our County Commission, with its new member, remembers whose money it is.