Editor:
In discussing the state of the 2017 budget elected officials have said that the residents of Carbon County have been spoiled. Are they referring back to the day when the coal mines and power plants were at the plateau of their production? A time when a person could get a high school diploma then a good paying job the next day. Back when things were booming and the energy producers provided so much wealth, when things were good in Carbon County?
Maybe so but I look at it differently, I believe that the residents have been fortunate to benefit from the energy resources within Carbon County, and that the county officials have been spoiled. The old saying about “failure to plan on your part doesn’t constitute an emergency on mine” rings true here.
Having worked with the coal mining, power generation, and gas sectors in and around Carbon County for more than 20 years you get a sense of the trends. You know whether a certain industry is prospering or when they are struggling. With 12 mine closures around Eastern Utah and only 2 mines operating in Carbon County it’s easy to see that coal mining has had better days.
There should be no surprise to the elected officials who enjoy the revenue derived from this fossil fuel. The coal mines obtain Federal leases and the amount of the bituminous product they can produce is known. The mine operators know the life of the sections they are working in and the day when they will be out of coal. With 10’s of millions of dollars coming to the county from mining I would think that those elected officials would know what the longevity of the mines are as well.
The local mines have been on a decline for nearly a decade and the history of the mineral lease money coming to Carbon County reflects that. So how did we get to this point with the budget and just realize that something needs to change?
Now the public is being asked for their input to suggest where the 2017 budget can be trimmed. Its like going skydiving and getting to the edge ready to jump and then checking to see if there are any parachutes. Pre-planning is something that needs to happen. A longer vision for the County needs to be put in place. We need to broaden our focus and entice new industries into our area.
In my campaign for Carbon County Commissioner one of the biggest platform items for me was to “Control Spending and Maintain Budgets”. It was obvious to see that with the new buildings going up and the coal mines going down this fiscal conservative mindset would be necessary.
We’re fortunate that previous Commissioners had the fortitude to build on the rainy day fund, without this money what would the current elected officials do, raise taxes again?
When it comes to budgets there are “Wants” and there are “Needs”. There are Needs like wages and benefits that have to be paid to keep our county safe and functioning. There are also Wants, I Want soccer fields in Carbon County, do we Need to spend $1.2 million on them right now? I Want a recreation center in Carbon County, do we Need one right now?
I’m very optimist on the future of Carbon County because I believe in the people of Carbon County. I believe that we all want what’s best for the entire community. The reality of the situation is what it is, “you are here”, and hard decisions will have to be made regardless.
Trimming $1,000 here and there helps but it will not cover the nearly $7 million shortfall of the proposed budget. My suggestion is to honesty look at what the “Needs” are for the county and pass the 2017 budget, then put the “Wants” on the top of the list to be considered for the 2018 budget.
Tony Martines,
Helper
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