It really isn't a $1,200,000,000 Chesterfield County Budget

From this week's Chesterfield Observer...

Expenditures (excluding schools) for FY11 for county services are projected to be $1,526 per person. “On par, we’re back to the 1996 level,” said County Administrator Jay Stegmaier.

But add schools in... $2,500 more per person that the government spends on The Taxpayer's behalf. 

Multiple times nearly 300,000 people and you wind up with $1,200,000,000.  (But it is just $1,526 per person.  No need to look behind the curtain. )

UPDATE: The Taxpayer did some digging.  In 1996, there were 244,800 citizens in Chesterfield x $1,526 per person.  Yields a $373M budget. Today there are 307,594 citizens.  Those extra 62,794 follows allow Chesterfield to "justify" spending an extra $95.8M on "providing services".  The Taxpayer just thought you would like to know the story behind the numbers.  That is $95.8M more than 1996 or as the bloater-in-chief would say "On par".


Board Chairman Dan Gecker of Bloat...

“There have also been significant reductions in capital improvements that the public doesn’t see,” 

So what!! We are all tightening our belts.  He is certainly not speaking about the reduction of The Taxpayer's own capital improvements that have to be put on hold. 

We can assure the chairman that we see what it means to our own finances around the kitchen table.  To think The Taxpayer doesn't understand the economic conditions in their own house is typically of bloat-centric public officials.  They should be ashamed for taking even $1 more in these tough times and they should be apologizing for not cutting more.  What a refreshing perspective that would be!!

Marshall Trammell gets the question all wrong...

“The question is: What level of service will be acceptable to the public?”

The correct question is "How much can we afford?" or "What is a wanted service versus a needed service?"  or "What can we return to The Taxpayer in these tough times?"