Former Commissioners Respond

This is written in response to the flier that was handed out during the Old Settler's Day celebration Sept. 26, 2009.
We are concerned as to what the Committee to Save Our Courthouse was trying to convey. Yes, it is true that in 1983 (26 years ago) we as County Commissioners at that time were trying to raise funds to preserve and maintain the courthouse, but with very little voter or public support. The tax levy as presented was soundly defeated. Additional efforts were made in later years to do the same, still with very little support and the same results.
Now, nearly three decades later, a committee of four; Carla Derrick, Joanne Ragan, Marvis Trump and Linda Plenge want to save the 1871 courthouse! Where were they earlier?
The general public does not understand how much of their tax dollars are already mandated by state law as to how it is spent;
See Commissioners, Page 14
they only see the amount of tax dollars collected.
It is our opinion that our money and your money would be spent much more wisely by building a new courthouse that would contain all the county offices in one building; rather than to try and remodel the current building which is too small and it would still leave the problem of the Hiller building having to be renovated for the other county offices.
We know of no remodeling project that did not become more time consuming and costly than the estimates indicated.
In short, to try and preserve the old courthouse now is equivalent to the lifetime smoker giving up smoking after being diagnosed with stage 4 Lung Cancer!!    VOTE "YES" NOVEMBER 3rd.

Wayne Blum and Charlie Allen