To the Editor,
There are some Houston County commissioners who feel the need for an administrator. One commissioner stated that it will ONLY cost Houston County $150,000.00. I reiterate, that is only the beginning. I surmise the administrator will need an administrative assistant or two, with insurance, vacation, sick leave, retirement, etc., then they will need to have office space, office equipment (desks, chairs, file cabinets, etc.), computers, phone lines, internet connections, will be required to attend seminars, most out of town, which will result in compensation for mileage, overnight boarding, meals, and the list goes on and on. This $150,000.00 position could easily become $250,000.00 to $300,000.00, with all the hidden costs and benefits. Have the commissioners considered the hidden costs just to have someone do the job that they were elected to do? Do ANY Houston County taxpayers feel that they want to have their tax dollars spent in this manner, or could those dollars be spent more wisely by proper staffing in existing positions. An administrator is possibly needed in larger tax based counties with more infrastructure but Houston County is not that large that five elected officials can’t manage efficiently.
Deborah Dewey
Houston, Minn.