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Submitted by Lynn Leamaster As I left the Perry city preliminary budget meeting last night (May 20th) it was with a new perspective of appreciation for the budgeting process and, more importantly, the people involved in it. As the council was presented with anticipated expenses for the coming year, I was overwhelmed with the hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of dollars that were being discussed. I couldn’t help but think as I was observing the council members that these are people who, for whatever reason, have chosen to take on the responsibility of dealing with these challenges.
The meeting began with a prayer. While this may be offensive to some, it is the perspective of this city council that it is wholly (perhaps holy) appropriate. As I listened to the council member’s prayer, I was not impressed by eloquence, but by the sincere supplication to have the minds and hearts of the council open to the best solutions to the information that they were being exposed to (and by their roles) responsible for.
As the budget figures began to unfold, it was obvious that a major portion of the budgets Perry city must address for the next several years revolves around the new waste water treatment system- the costs of construction and the costs of maintenance.
Frankly, I had never paused to think that when a toilet is flushed, there are countless people involved in making that action one that you and I can depend on. And because these people are involved, they must be paid by the city for their involvement. There are those responsible for the maintenance of the equipment that is required to supply the water and handle the sewage. There are people who are planning and constructing and maintaining the facilities and mechanical and electronic resources. They all have to be paid. And, as we all know, things wear out and eventually need to be replaced. Right now in Perry there are people who are facing the challenges presented with these very issues so that when a toilet is flushed, the residents can continue to take it for granted that it will work as expected.
Because of the financial obligations taken on by the city in providing new (and hopefully for all involved) more appropriate and functional resources, the council is facing a possible shortfall in the budget. They were presented with the possibility that the monthly bill for these city-provided services would have to be raised in the future. The council did not want to have to raise these fees and were hoping that other ways might present themselves to make up for the shortfalls. They did not want that for themselves and they did not want to see their friends and neighbors in the community required to pay these higher costs.
Unlike those on the federal level, most city officials (especially at a smaller city level) have not taken actions to insulate themselves from the consequences of their legislative and fiscal choices. As I observed these folks dealing with the reality of fiscal responsibility incurred by the city, I could appreciate that they all acknowledged and accepted that through their association and calling as council members THEY ARE THE CITY.
I reflected through much of the night that if everyone in the community was as cynical and apathetic to the “political arena” as me, there would be no one to shoulder the responsibility of paying the bills, overseeing and paying the employees who are working at the “ground level” of broken water lines, plugged sewers, burned up pumps etc. Although they are paid for their roles and participation, I couldn’t help but think of what would happen to the community if they all decided at once that they are not compensated fairly for all they are responsible for and left- WITH NO ONE WILLING TO TAKE THEIR PLACE. Please stop long enough to contemplate that before moving on with your reading.
This line of thinking was probably stimulated by the conversation I had with one of the council members before the meeting began. He mentioned how frustrating it could be that the only “participation” in the city governmental process by the members of the community was to oppose something they felt was threatening to their own interests. I think it deserves mentioning that I was the only person there not involved directly with the council (even though it was open to the public).
Admittedly, until taking on this position, I didn’t know there is a web site that lists all the city council meetings and agendas for the coming weeks. The address for the site is http://www.utah.gov/pmn/index.html. If you do nothing more than check the schedule for an upcoming public meeting in your city and attend just to see what goes on, that will likely be more than you’ve done in the past; and hopefully, you will, (as I have) gain a deeper feeling of gratitude and support for those compassionate and dedicated enough to take on the responsibilities that most of us are oblivious to.
In the future when you see a council member, take a moment and say “Thank you” for what they do FOR YOU as a member of the community they have chosen to serve.
And next time you flush a toilet, pause for just an instant and send a feeling of gratitude out to those unseen, unknown and under-appreciated folks that contribute in untold ways to that convenience we all take for granted-who knows, it may even make your day or evening feel a little more blessed.
Yes, Thank Behind-the-Scenes People for Toilets that Flush! |