To the Editor,
Our county commissioners are setting the standard for repeated financial offenses. The recent article in The Robesonian about their discretionary funds suggests criminal behavior.
Our commissioners make it sound like they are not responsible, it was in place before they were elected. Well, that is far from the truth. They assert that the current discretionary funds cut through the “red-tape” and expedite funding for essential projects. This sort of logic is either irresponsible or immoral and illegal. Commissioners, you are charged with the responsibility of evaluating, scoring and executing our taxpayer budget; the “red-tape” is there for a reason, to ensure standards are set and followed with the usage of tax dollars.
I’m not for removing funding for our local organizations that meet the standard; what I disagree with is the commissioners’ singular control of this process, or having individual control of taxpayer dollars that could be used in a nefarious manner.
Now you know why we need more tax dollars; basically to ensure our commissioners’ re-election. This is a serious breach of moral justice and there is no way an opposition campaign could be successful when placed in a situation where they must compete against our own tax dollars.
Mr. Noah Woods, this is a conflict of interest. County citizens, the current commissioners are potentially using your tax dollars to garner favor prior to elections and they think this process is a good one.
Do the right thing: Remove discretionary funds from your control.
Citizens, think about what you have read in the past month: The commissioners have the fourth-highest salary in the state, and they have a large discretionary fund at their fingertips, which is quite uncommon. And the commissioners don’t see an issue with any of this.
It’s our understanding that county funds are always limited and the commissioners consistently are in search of funding; well they need to look at their salaries, discretionary funds, insurance and retirement.
Leaders, put your county commissioners on notice — no discretionary funds and reduce your salary.
Log into this site — www.gopetition.com/petitions/commissioners-need-to-be-held-accountable.html —
and sign a petition to bring our county commissioners back to the table and back to reality.
Phineaus Locklear
Spokesman
Friends of Philadelphus
County Commissioners need to be held accountable
So, the county commissioners run campaigns to become a commission and claim to have the citizens’ best interest at heart. But this is not true!! If they had our best interest at heart they would not be “TAKING” our tax dollars and using them for their own self interest, AKA “Slush Funds”. If these commissioners were to vote to lower their monetary intake and be commissions because they want to make a difference and make our county a better economic community, the citizens would be the ones to prosper. But, they are seeking election for power, money (travel, insurance coverage for life) and for their power.
We have senior adults, children, and teenagers growing up seeing that life in our county is as the County Commissioners want it be. They see adults throwing their hands up and not fighting back!! Is this what we want our children to learn? I know I want my children/grandchildren to fight for things in life that are right and to stand by their decisions to do so. We live in the Bible belt here and we have so many churches teaching us the Christian way to live. Where are all these people in this battle? Our churches come together when evil is trying to invade our communities, so why can’t they do the same to run the evil out that has plagued our county for years??
I would like to commend the Friends of Philadelphus for starting the fight against the commissioner’s decisions and for the Robesonian for publishing the statistic and other pertinent information that the citizens have a legal right to know.
Call your commission and ask why do state and government officials have to submit itemized statements of funds and budgets that reflect every dime and they do not have to!!
It is our legal right to know where ever cent of our tax dollars are going!!