"Candidate Voice of the People" Article
La Porte Herald-Argus
April 28, 2008
Ford Hopes to Bring Bottom Line Business Perspective to the County Council
The new property tax law and circuit breaker will challenge the next county council in several areas. The loss of revenue at the local level will force reductions in staff and services. I believe that reducing expense and fixed costs is the only way to make up the revenue short falls. This is never easy because every county department provides critical services to the community. Each of these departments has a lobby of people who support their missions.
I'll bring a bottom line business perspective to the table. I've had to make these types of budgetary decisions many times in my business career. Reductions in staff may take place and many lives could be impacted. We have to measure every department's effectiveness to make good funding decisions. It's not a popularity contest when dealing with the health and safety of our citizens. We must be factual and objective when making hard decisions.
My 25 years of facilitating change, managing budgets, and measuring productivity are skills that are critical in making these decisions.
I believe the real solution to our revenue short fall is found in growth. We must grow our industrial base, employment base, and local population. Increased investment in our community is the key to our future. We must embrace growth and change, or be prepared to pay more taxes.
Bipartisan cooperation is the only way we can work through these issues. If you believe that cooperation, bringing new investment and job growth are critical to our future I ask for your support in the May 6 Democratic primary.
My website is http://scottyford.blogspot.com.
SCOTT FORD
Democratic Candidate for
