Florida Today Letter to the Editor
July 24th, 2010

I attended several hours of the County’s marathon budget workshop Thursday night, and as I watched the circus, one question kept ringing in my head: why?

The board has been warned for the last four years by concerned citizens, the Clerk of Courts and their own finance director the real estate bubble had burst and that property tax revenue would be declining. Instead of making incremental cuts to reduce spending to pre-bubble levels, they continued to spend as if the boom times continued.

Now that the Commissioners have spent the last of our reserves they have the gall to act as though they have only just become aware of the fact we were in a real estate bubble. Their failure to recognize the gravity of the situation sooner and act responsibly is unforgiveable.

Rather than have multiple workshops where the budget of each department could be individually addressed and commented on by the public, the board voted to take the month of June off, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt they simply doesn’t understand the magnitude of the task before them.

The taxpayers deserve better, and on August 24th the citizens of District 2 & 4 will get it.

- Matt Nye, Candidate for Brevard County Commission, District 4