Mary, the KNS story citing Sam's amendment doesn't offer its full text, nor explain whether Sam makes any suggestion on how the county might immediately recoup its $1.8 million capital investment in the Beck.

Presumably, this concern would need to be addressed before commissioners would extend further monies to the Beck?

Does Sam possibly recommend that the transfer of Beck's property could quickly transpire before the vote on next year's budget?

Does he possibly make some other recommendation to comparable effect?

This would seem to be the hurdle his amendment would face in any vote...

Good grief. It's no skin off McKenzie's nose to cut the county's public works department since the roads in his city-only district are maintained by the city's public works department.

We've got small dogs (and maybe even kids) getting lost in potholes in subdivisions such as Indian Ridge in Halls (scheduled to be paved this month). Public Works is one department that produces measurable results.

I predict an absence of support for this scheme from any commissioner who represents residents outside the corporate limits. -- s.

I'm afraid I predict an absence of support for this scheme from any commissioner who can count to 1.8.

The bottom line is that it must not be lost simply because a few who influenced this budget didn't think it added worth, value, and tourist interest to visit our area.

I have disagreed with other of Mayor Burchett's decisions since he took office, but in this particular instance I understand that the mayor and commissioners--acting for the county and its taxpayers--must necessarily untangle, examine, and ultimately rectify these confusing financial transactions between the Beck and the county, the legacy of a previous mayoral administration, to the ultimate effect of securing the county's ownership interest in the Beck's realty and ensuring that the county's future financial support for it is applied correctly and expeditiously. That's a long sentence, but it's just how much there is to be done, I think, before the county can reasonably advance further support to the Beck.

As for me, I certainly don't suggest this because I think the Beck doesn't "add worth, value, and tourist interest to visit our area."

Neither can I imagine anyone more qualified or deserving than Avon Rollins to lead the Beck's operations into the future.

Whatever differences we may share with Mayor Burchett concerning his budget priorities more generally, I personally trust that his thoughts on the Beck are rooted in his sense of obligation to be a good steward of taxpayer monies and not on any propensity to devalue the Beck and its record of good work.

On this one, I just don't see that ideology played any role in his budget recommendation.

What do county taxpayers who happen to live inside the city limits get from county public works if they don't fix our streets?

Let the city stop scarfing up gasoline taxes and sales taxes while maintaining a seat on the TPO which sets priorities for state road projects and we'll talk.