For the week of August 21 - 27, 2002

County budget 
clear as mud

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Blaine County’s $21.5 million budget is clear as mud.

In the past 20 years, businesses nationwide embraced awesome computer power and well-designed software to generate reams of information about budgets and business performance.

Not Blaine County.

The budget published for public consumption last week looks nearly identical to the budget published 30 years ago and possibly earlier. It had lots of numbers and no analysis.

The published budget was the minimum required by Idaho law, but more is needed.

There were no pie charts to show where the county’s money comes from or where it goes. There were no comparisons between this year’s revenue and expense and the projections for next year. There was no easy way for taxpayers to determine what was up and what was down.

Taxpayers were left to figure it out themselves.

In another day and age, this might have been the best government could do.

In the Information Age, in one of the wealthiest counties in Idaho, the poor budget information is inexcusable.

These days, relatively inexpensive computer programs automatically generate revenue and expense comparisons between this year and last. Pie charts and graphs are easy to generate and are great visual aids to help the public understand how the county is spending its money.

Every year in the budget hearing, Blaine County Commissions and other elected officials face a room full of empty chairs. First, they bemoan the lack of public participation. Then they approve the budget.

The scene is absurd. First the county blindfolds taxpayers, then it asks them to describe what they see.

The county needs to update its computers and enter the Information Age.

 

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