Condition of My Gift

To the Editor:

I am compelled to write this letter after reading the article by Andy Behlen in the Sept. 19 Fayette County Record. Apparently, my name was brought up several times during the recent Commissioners Court agenda. While I appreciate and whole heartedly agree with the comments from Commissioner Sternadel and Commissioner Brossman, I take exception to the comments of the other Commissioners. I also take exception and offence to the comments made by Deborah Frank about me and recent gifts to the first responders of Fayette County.

To be frank, no pun intended, my gift to the county was to specifically to offset most of the County budget allocated for purchase of needed equipment for the first responders to free up funds to increase the salaries of to at least the minimum paid by our neighboring Counties (approximately 10% increase) until the $350,000 State grant provided by SB 22 is received by the County in January. In fact, a condition of my gift was to raise the salaries of our first responders, or I wanted my money back. As to Ms. Frank’s comment that the rest of the County is struggling to pay taxes and their bills, I realize some citizens are, but Fayette County has one of the most robust economies in the State as evidenced by the continued growth of sales tax revenues received by the County. Also, the unemployment rate in our County is at historical lows and businesses are thriving so much that it is a struggle to find employees, as reflected in the employment adds in the paper.

As to Commissioners Mc-Broom and Berkenhoff’s comments that the County should be placing monies in reserve, both gentlemen have been in office and controlling the County expenditures for many years. I question why they have not increased the reserves during their tenure as County employees. As to Commissioner Mc Broom’s comments about the Sheriff’s salary increase, I wish to point out increasing the Sheriff’s salary was necessary for the County even qualify to be eligible for the SB 22 grant as the Sheriff’s salary was considerably lower than the amount the State deems adequate for a County our size.

As to the small sermons recited by others in attendance at Commissioners Court, I am reminded what the what my Lord and Savior told the Pharisees when questioned about paying taxes to the government. Render unto Ceasar what is Ceasar’s. And render unto God what is God’s.

Additionally, I am somewhat perplexed why an article that questions my gift to the County deserves front page coverage, when I make a gift that benefits emergency responders on the anniversary of 9/11 the article is delegated to the last page and the last of the section of The Record.