Commissioners say fiscal responsibility?

To the Editor:
In their campaign literature, our opponents tout their “fiscal accomplishments,” table-stakes achievements anyone with common sense would simply call “doing their jobs.” What they won’t tell you is that they irresponsibly lost county funds to the tune of approximately $120,000 in one year, followed by two successive years of over $500,000 in each. This, according to the Pike County Recycling Program profit and loss statement. Is grossly mismanaging over $1 million of the taxpayers’ money really fiscally responsible leadership?

That first year alone was a huge red flag of a tremendous problem. Where was their attention? What kind of financial controls and reporting were in place? How could they allow more and more taxpayer money to flow out the door like that year after year, unchecked? They have a fiduciary responsibility to the residents of Pike County, and they failed to respond until long after the ship went down. If this happened in the private sector, they would have been dismissed ages ago.

Under our watch, we will absolutely assure that sound financial controls and reporting will be instituted, and we will proactively act to protect the interests of our residents. We will publish readable and easily understandable budgets. And a financial report of the county will be submitted every month and there will be active, transparent financial management.

If our opponents’ fiscal skills were accountable to one of their own party candidates seeking the presidential nominations, they clearly would have been told, “You’re fired.” This Election Day, Pike County should say the same.

David Ruby and Steve Guccini
Candidates for Pike County Commissioners