EDITOR’S NOTE: Lucy Brook is responding to an op/ed press release from the Lovelin campaign – https://www.tillamookcountypioneer.net/op-ed-erin-skaars-salary-revealed-lovelin-campaign-sheds-light-on-true-cost-to-taxpayers/
to the public,
i think it’s pertinent to know that one county commissioner’s current annual compensation of $125,000, then multiplied by 3 = $375,000.
i did the arithmetic, and that $375,000 is .26% of this year’s annual budget of $143,414,880. that’s about 1/4 of 1% of the total budget.
so the brouhaha that is being stirred up over the commissioners’ salaries is about an amount that doesn’t very much impinge on the overall dollars needed to run the county. it seems that this issue of the commissioners’ salaries is being presented to the voters as if our county would have so much more money to pay its bills if it weren’t for this “exorbitant” amount being paid to the commissioners.
also, i have to wonder how many people out there would step up to the plate to take the responsibility and time commitment of this job without this “exorbitant” compensation?
om peace namaste
lucy brook
nehalem resident
