Dear Editor:

With the Troup County Commission and the Board of Education in a pinch for funds, it seems there are ways to reduce spending.

One major expense is traveling for commissioners. There are a number of meetings each year for the Association County Commissioners of Georgia. Basically all officials, four commissioners plus the chairman and manager attend the annual meeting in Savannah each year.

It would be nice if the taxpayers were given a report on how much we benefit from the expenditure of several thousand dollars for them to attend the meetings. This includes travel expenses, registration, food, lodging and entertainment.

Another major expense is attending the National Association of County Commissioners. Even though we don’t have any voting power on this board, it seems that it is a popular meeting for some commissioners. It seems that some members of the board reportedly are planning to attend at least two meetings in 2010. One will be for five days in Washington, D.C., and another for five days in Reno, Nev.

My question again is, without any voting power, how much will be taxpayers in Troup County benefit from several thousand dollars being spent on this type traveling?

County Manager Mike Dobbs should at least give us the names, destinations and expenses of board members flying around the country to attend what I see as nonbeneficial meetings. Everything discussed during these mostly pleasure trips are sent to county officials after the meetings are completed.

Travel expenses plus top-heavy administrators are places where the Troup County Board of Education should be searching to reduce its budget.

Taxpayers should be told how much of the $100 million-plus budget is spent on administration and travel rather than real education.

Another item the public should be aware of is the funds pouring into the BOE coffers from Kia Motors. In 2008 and 2009, the BOE received a total of $1,975,982.20 from Kia. The estimate for 2010 is $3.5 million, and this amount is expected to increase each year. Where will that money go? Will the BOE hire more administrators to push paper?

The BOE has some $12 million in reserve. Would it not be feasible to use some of the reserve until the mother’s milk from Kia comes flowing in?

I am sure there are many expenses that can be and should be slashed, but throwing out scare tactics of closing schools, cutting art and music or four day weeks are not the answer.

Cutting the number of days in class will only put a huge expense increase on the parents. Working parents will have to put their children in day care on Fridays or hire sitters to keep them, thus putting additional costs on parents.

If art and music are cut, parents will face a dozen more fundraising projects, costing us more money. These projects should be outlawed by state legislation. They force students to compete for inexpensive prizes by begging family and friends to purchase overpriced, cheap merchandise.

With SPLOST funding all the new buildings, furnishing, remodeling, maintenance and equipment, where did the money go that was being used for these items?

If the BOE can’t cut expenses enough to meet budget or dip into their reserve, they should step up to the plate and increase the milage rate but that would hurt them politically.

These cuts may seem minor, but like the old saying, “pennies eventually make dollars.”

Would it be possible for an outside accounting firm to examine the spending or possibly an investigation by the grand jury?

C. Lee West

Ridley Avenue, LaGrange