This all sounds good until there is an event, like a snowstorm, where they expect to have the same level of service provided previously, even though their taxes have not gone up and services were reduced to remain with the allocated funding available.
Last week I was at a briefing on winter weather and the level of preparedness. Wind, flooding, snow and all the preparations that go toward an effective response. This, by the way, is expected to be a "neutral El Nino" year, which has led to some pretty big storms in western Washington, if history has any lessons for us.
Then there was a briefing by one road/public works manager about the status of their snowplowing capabilities. Since the last big snow event, their capability has been cut in half. They have gone from being able to clear 30 percent of all their roads to 15 percent. This, all because of budget cuts and reductions. These were not temporary reductions, but real cuts with people and FTE reductions that are permanent.
This has been all well and fine for the last few years, since we have not had any significant snow events. Eventually we will, and there will be hell to pay from people who have short memories about taxes and long memories about services and what used to be delivered.
Tough choices were made on where cuts would be taken. It will be interesting to see how people respond to elected officials when they explain that services where cut to remain fiscally responsible to what they want to pay in taxes. I expect at some point, following a big snow event, there will be additional resources put toward snowplowing, with cuts being taken in another area of government that does not "currently" have the spotlight on it.
