As fall toys with the idea of turning into winter, there is a lot going on in Lincoln County.
A few items of interest that the Commission has been working on are below.
• If you have not met our Economic Development Director Larry Tucker and his assistant Julie Rodgers, you need to take the time to reach out and meet these key members of our team. You won’t see Larry’s picture on Facebook or on the cover of the LCJ, because as a consummate professional, he cares about getting the job done and not about the accolades. New buildings are being built, vacant spaces are being filled, and businesses that once considered leaving Lincoln County are not only staying but also expanding. While others might be busy on social media tooting their own horn, our Economic Development staff is moving on to the next project. The road to economic recovery has had turns to make and hills to climb, but we are on track to continue to make progress.
• Budgeting is in full swing in all County offices. This will be the 8th budget I have had the pleasure of helping to create, and while the budget process can get contentious at times, I enjoy being able to see the pieces come together in a single document. As I have mentioned in past columns, our reserve balances are strong, we carry no long-term debt, and we retire what little short-term debt we have early to minimize interest costs. I am currently up to my eyeballs in spreadsheets, but am more than happy to talk budgets if you have a question.
• Many of you may recall that, prior to the unprecedented floods of 2015, we had planned to implement a long-term program to convert gravel roads to hard surface. While the flooding postponed this endeavor, it afforded us an opportunity to bring our bridge inventory up to date. I am happy to say that we have rebounded nicely and will not only be able to continue to keep our bridges in shape and eliminate dangerous low water crossings, but we will also be moving forward with our plan to hard surface gravel roads on an even larger scale than we had originally planned. Stay tuned in 2018 as big things are going to happen!
That’s all I have time for now. As always, call, e-mail or stop by the Courthouse if you have questions. Until next week…
Dan Colbert
Presiding Commissioner
