I don’t agree with your statement (editorial, Aug. 4), “the commissioners deserve to have earned the public’s trust by all the cutting they have already done.”

In the past 14 months the commissioners have failed to recognize and take the necessary steps needed to avoid the current financial crisis. All because not one of them has ever had any significant fiscal management education or experience.

During the last couple of months of 2009 the public repeatedly gave the commissioners their thoughts for reducing expenses for the 2010 budget. The commissioners ignored all of that public input and did exactly what they had been doing and wanted to do which was continued funding all those socially justified, “feel good” programs at the expense of law and order and public safety

The commissioners increased the current expense levy and the road levy by 1 percent, plus ‘banked” capacity. In addition, they agreed to increase the levy for conservation futures, which is a land preservation program for protection of threatened areas of open space, timber lands, wetland, habitat areas and farm land.

The commissioners ignoring public input and failure to make the correct decisions last December resulted in them spending over $4,5 million of the county’s reserve funds. It’s now almost totally depleted and once again the commissioners are telling us they are out of money and need to increase taxes.

The commissioners have lost all credibility with their past actions.

We can not trust them with any additional funds with an approval of Prop 1.

Bill Strowbridge

Oak Harbor