When is it comes to County Government, we couldn’t think of a better guest blogger than Beth Leisure, President of the Wayne County Council. We asked her to tell our readers and followers about service and what the Council does on a weekly basis. Here are her thoughts:
The Wayne County Council is the County Government’s fiscal body and is comprised of seven elected officials. Our main duties are to oversee the budget for the entire County and to set the salaries of our employees.
The Council also sets tax rates for the County. We are very fortunate to be in a solid financial position and have not raised taxes in many years. We were even able to lower the local income tax when the jail bond was finished. Sometimes we have to do more with less. It requires learning how to find innovative ways to fund projects and come up with new ideas when challenges arise.
Accountability
We use these funds to fix roads, bridges, partner on special projects, pay for assessment needs, and to ensure that the county government runs as efficiently as possible.
Elected officials are accountable to the public who elected them. It is our goal to always be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. All our decisions are based on what is best for the citizens of Wayne County.
As President, it has been my honor to also represent the Council at local functions and be involved on various boards and committees. Being engaged in the community is important for all elected officials. There are always opportunities to learn about the various projects developing around the County. Gaining knowledge from others helps with making informed decisions.
Working with others makes the job bigger than just yourself. We have formed a strong bond with the County Commissioners that has resulted in your local government being more efficient and more cohesive. People often confuse the duties of the Council with those of Commissioners.
Both bodies are willing to help citizens find the right person to talk to better serve them, but we do have specific functions. While the Commissioners will bring projects to the attention of the Council for budgeting and funding requests, it is ultimately the responsibility of the Council to approve the spending.
Purpose
I’ve asked a few of my fellow council members to share why they serve Wayne County and what it means to them. Here’s what they had to say:
“Serving on the Wayne County Council is a meaningful way to give back to my home community. I was raised in a family that served our community in many varied ways and taught me how important that is. In whatever I am doing, I want to leave that organization in a better position than when I arrived. It was a privilege to serve the citizens of Wayne County as a Commissioner in the 80s and 90s, and now again over the past 4 years. Thank you to everyone for the opportunity to serve.” – Max Smith, Vice President
“Having been a prior elected official and full-time county employee for 14 years, it was important to me to continue to serve the people of Wayne County. This is my 4th year on County Council and Wayne County is my home and I care about all the people who live here, that includes those who are less fortunate and struggle with mental health, drug addictions and recidivism. County Council not only is the financial “decision makers” for Wayne County, but we each also serve on several committees and are liaisons to the different county departments. This way we each have a little different perspective on the needs of our constituents and can make our decisions accordingly.” – Cathy Williams
“To be entrusted by the citizens of Wayne County to ensure their tax dollars are being handled in a fiscally responsible manner, is one of the highest honors.” -Jeff Cappa
“I enjoy being a servant of the people and working with the strong and experienced members of County Council, who have led Wayne County to the sound financial position that we are currently in today, while being part of the health and well-being of all the citizens of Wayne County.” – Gary Saunders
Privilege
Working in the public sector is a privilege that entails great responsibility. Those of us that have the opportunity to be public servants don’t take it lightly. We know that what we do has purpose. Our work forces us to find financial solutions, to adapt to the circumstances that arise and to keep finding ways to serve. We also welcome your input in to how we can make Wayne County a better place.
All our meetings are televised locally and are available online at WGTV. The public is welcome at our meetings which are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 8:00 am and the third Wednesdays at 6:00 pm. Come and see what we are about.
