Letter to the editor: Westmoreland's dire budget situation

I was alarmed by the article about Westmoreland County Commissioner Gina Cerilli’s square off with County Controller Jeffrey Balzer (“Westmoreland controller calls for bigger county tax increase,” Jan. 28, TribLIVE). Our county had to use $5.5 million from its surplus fund to balance this year’s budget, leaving only a projected less than $300,000 in the surplus coffers for 2021.

This alarms me because (1) the county has relied on this “surplus” to balance the budget annually for greater than 10 years now, and (2) if the county requires $20 million to cover two months of expenses, this $300,000 covers only about 20 hours of operations! Many financial planners recommend individuals have an “emergency fund” with enough to cover six months of expenses without income.

This situation is dire. Running at a deficit is not a viable option. And it seems unwise to bank on a legal settlement not yet secured. There is no “sure way” to rebuild our coffers, other than to raise taxes.

Let’s face the harsh facts — goods and services cost money, and the needs of our citizens change over time. There will be no other choice, in balancing our budget, than to cut expenses. Then taxpaying citizens may lose their jobs, and we will all be at a loss of some significant goods and services on which many rely.

Susan Wilson

Greensburg