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I believe in working as a team, I like building relationships, and I like to be open about everything that I do.
Ask anyone who has ever worked with me. I give a lot of details. If you read what I write, that is often the case. But I've done this in every area of my career.
I've created financial reports that are easy to read, information that goes to everyone that is involved. Newsletters that explain things in depth.
Open conversations.
So it's disturbing when I hear from our elected officials that all the departments need to work together better, then not see them taking the lead.
At least two departments in the county have told me that they have requested a meeting with all the other department heads in addition to the county supervisors. They have questions and concerns and want to work together better. They want an open meeting to talk about how they can reduce costs, treat their employees better, figure out together how to fix the budgeting issues.
It sounds like a really good idea.
Right now all the departments in our county and city are struggling to handle the 2% cap that has squeezed their departments and eliminated entire sectors of their budgets.
They want to know if they can get help from each other; it could be sharing equipment, sharing people with specific job skills, cross promotion of activities and events; sharing supplies and purchasing power.
So why isn't this happening?
Currently each department has their own budget and priorities, but there are areas that are common. This request is only for a public meeting with the Supervisors involved. That's easy. Tell the media and post an agenda. The agenda can just be an open discussion on ways to streamline costs.
I'm a believer that two heads are better than one. Open discussion to solve problems may be uncomfortable, but often necessary. Get things in the open. Develop a better understanding. Help each other solve problems.
I'm a believer that when managers and supervisors are doing their jobs, they need to feel they are getting support.
When we are talking about a county or city organization, it's imperative that our employees feel valued. They are all our employees. And we need them.
We cannot repair our roads without them.
We cannot maintain the buildings that belong to us all.
We cannot take care of our parks without a team helping keep them managed well.
We cannot police our highways and assist with emergencies.
We cannot handle all the administrative work that it takes to run a city or county.
But we can support our employees.
This week, I sat through three different meetings. There is a lot of concern that the people who are supposed to be managing our departments are not being supported. They are wondering how they can hire, how can they keep employees, how can they give raises, how can they expect supervisors to carry the responsibilities and experience without being shown they are appreciated.
There needs to be discussion about why this is happening.
It could be a training issue, it could be a misunderstanding. It should be cleared up.
We are living in a time when the wages for unskilled labor is higher than wages paid for a professional degree, when departmental supervisors are making no more money than the people they supervise. When experience in a job isn't considered.
Our small businesses cannot afford to hire any help, as they demand more money per hour than the owners make themselves. There isn't anything left to care for buildings, to be open more hours, to take care of apartments or pay the new tax bills.
Supervisors and managers both are required to handle after hour phone calls, manage employees, fill in when someone doesn't show up, produce reports, and do a job most people don't want to do.
Running a business and managing people are the hardest jobs out there. So where is the disconnect in understanding that they should be paid more than the people they supervise.
The cities and counties have caps put on them now, to not exceed increases of more than 2% every year. That cap doesn't allow for raises that are required by unions. It doesn't consider the fact that the taxpayers supporting these positions are a mix of retired individuals, and business owners who don't have the bottom line to pay anyone more, including themselves.
It's about budgets. And the largest expense in every business today are the wages paid to workers. Not necessarily skilled workers, every worker.
Several years ago, when there was a huge lobby for raising the minimum wage to $15, not enough was said about the long-term impact. Now we are living with it.
We cannot sustain this for another 10 or 20 years.
I contend that after living in metro areas for nearly 20 years, that living in a smaller community in Iowa is much better than any of the suburbs and cities that boast of amenities that I would rarely use.
But I'm starting to wonder, as many are, when I will no longer be able to stay here. And then where would I go.
We need to fix this problem now, before Hamilton County is totally under the control of the metro mentality that is changing the dynamics of this area.
Where farmland is the richest, and the countryside is still beautiful all seasons of the year.
Before no one wants to live here.