Uintah County Commissioners Mark Raymond and Mike McKee issued a press release
on Thursday
announcing a decision to award a Christmas bonus to all County employees. The release emphasized the cost saving measures taken by the County to streamline the budget including department cuts, tabling projects, no cost of living increases, and only essential hires. “After reviewing our actual expenses,” shares the release, “we are pleased to announce that everyone’s hard work has paid off. From November 2015 to November 2016, the County has saved approximately $4,271,000 dollars, a truly impressive feat!” While Uintah County Commissioner Bill Stringer says he greatly values the Uintah County employees, he does not support what he calls a “thank you for working for the County” year-end bonus of $500 dollars. “We can communicate a decent thank you with a more thoughtful, less expensive gift,” says Stringer. “If we saved money, why didn’t we use it to make an extra loan payment or look at critical need for next year or use it to reduce taxes next year?” The funding for the year end bonus comes from savings through reduced spending which Stringer says belongs to the taxpayers and should be returned to the taxpayers. Commissioners McKee and Raymond’s release states that the 2017 preliminary budget has been reduced an additional $2,000,000 dollars and that 2017 will be another year of no cost of living increases. “Toward that end,” shares McKee and Raymond, “and in the true Spirit of Christmas, we would like to thank all county employees by providing a year-end bonus.”
