County should separate P&Z staff duties

Dear editor:

It strikes me as odd that when other counties in the area are having to lay off staff, have staff take days off without pay, and make other reductions that Elmore County can give the county staff a raise and when they have a chance not to fill a position during this downturn in the economy they rush out to fill it. The current employee has stated that to get a good person to fill this position the county should pay them three or four times what she is receiving.

If the staff being replaced would further economic development it is possible that a positive return on this investment could occur. This has not been the case is the past. Elmore County's Growth and Development group is organized with the fox guarding the hen house. The people tasked with enforcing the county's regulations are the same people that are tasked to have new companies build new facilities in the county. If this is not a conflict of interest, this arrangement creates the appearance of one. If the county must replace staff this would be the time to separate business development from regulatory enforcement.

How is the county going to pay for pay raises and this new person?

Some of the possibilities are:

* Keeping property values artificially high by using replacement costs (local cost modifier) and not fair market value for their assessed valuation. This has the effect of keeping values artificially high and not showing the real decline in property values.

* Raising fees on building permits, further discouraging the business that they are trying to encourage; or,

* Terminate other county employees to pay for these raises and this replacement employee.

Is it possible to get the benefits of business development without replacing staff? Sure, the county could work with the City of Mountain Home to have the city's business development staff work for the whole county. This group has been successful and has the experience and contacts necessary to be successful. In addition this is a win win in that it helps the city in a time of reduced income.

Are there some problems in having the county and city work together? Of course, there are egos involved and what if a company is considering locating in the city or county. By having the county work with the city the county gets an experienced staff for less than they would pay for an inexperienced staff of their own and the city gets help paying for their staff during this downturn in the economy.

If the county would accept the fact that the goose that laid the golden egg (the housing market) has laid a new egg and it is not golden, the county could assess property at its fair market value and not its replacement costs.

Leonard Hutterman