Budget

One of the biggest challenges our county faces as we recover from COVID-19 is funding. My philosophy is the best way to be more efficient in our county is to personally meet with every department and learn about each of their challenges and opportunities so we can work collaboratively to streamline our budget. This will provide a great first step in encouraging each department to develop a plan that sets forth goals, strategies and expected outcomes so the county can set a reasonable budget that reflects those plans. As Mayor, I’m also going to look at ways we can save our county money by making sure the county is negotiating and writing procurement contracts to get the best value for our taxpayer dollars. One of my frustrations as a department head is buying items in bulk only to see the same items on a store shelf for a much cheaper price. As an attorney I know how to negotiate contracts, and I believe as Mayor I can help to save taxpayer dollars by directing county employees to better negotiate these procurement contracts. Another thing we should do is look at our procurement laws and possibly advocate to change these laws at the state level. COVID-19 has created an opportunity to do this.