With the dawn of a new year comes a new list of resolutions for most and new Editorial Objectives from The Valdosta Daily Times editorial board. Since starting these annual lists a few years ago, there have been items we’ve seen succeed, some we’ve conceded as not going to happen, and others becoming matters for public discussion.
And that is the true goal of The Times’ Editorial Objectives. While we hope to check off a few of these items as accomplished this year, our prime objective is to increase public discourse on each item.
1. Expansion of the Lowndes County Commission.
An objective two years ago, this was dropped by The Times editorial board when squabbling among commission members and the legislative delegation derailed the proposed expansion. As one of their last acts on the commission, Edgar Roberts and Rod Casey helped to champion a vote to expand representation for the citizens of the community. The Times encourages all involved, from the new commission to the legislators, to agree soon on a map and the number of representatives and get it passed in the 2009 General Assembly so that voters have a say later this year in a referendum. The county can’t keep waiting for politicians to all be happy at the same time, while three commissioners attempt to adequately represent more than 30,000 citizens each. This is an action long overdue.
2. School System Consolidation.
For the sixth year, The Times is listing school system consolidation as an editorial objective. The community has made great strides toward the concept in recent years, with the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors behind moving forward on the issue. If our objectives are a matter of increasing public discourse, then school consolidation has been one of our most successful objectives, even if it does return year after year. A decade ago, few people would discuss the idea of consolidating the Valdosta and Lowndes County school systems. Now, it is the subject of studies, proposals and an ever-increasing amount of discussion. Now, this objective is making progress from talk into action. We look forward to more of both this year.
3. Lowndes County Courthouse Rejuvenation.
Once the new Judicial Complex is completed in the spring, the Lowndes County Courthouse will be largely unused. The annex behind the building will be torn down, thankfully, as it does not blend well with the 100-year-old historic structure, providing the community the golden opportunity to restore the courthouse to its original glory. The Lowndes County Courthouse will remain an architectural centerpiece to Downtown Valdosta. Let’s make sure it also remains a viable place in downtown’s history as it has been a vital part of Valdosta-Lowndes County’s past.
4. Library Expansion.
Despite disappearing state dollars, the South Georgia Regional Library system is in need of assistance to expand the main branch, keep all outlying branches open as much as possible, and to allow the main Valdosta-Lowndes County branch to grow. The library and its services, especially the computer facilities, have desperately outgrown the library’s Woodrow Wilson Drive site. Libraries are important to a region, which is why expanding the library returns to our list this year.
5. Use of Tax Dollars.
Tough economic times call for strict stewardship of our tax dollars. While sharing the largesse deserves scrutiny at even the best of times, a tighter rein on local government spending is an absolute necessity these days. The Times questions, for example, the city of Valdosta’s decision to award tens of thousands of dollars in Christmas bonuses at the end of 2008. At a time when companies are laying off and scaling their work forces back, perhaps a government body should not be distributing tax dollars in such a manner. The Times was told that the bonuses were included in the city’s budget for the fiscal year, and if that’s the case, perhaps the city should look at a different budgeting process this year. The Times believes tax dollars collected for city, county and school systems’ should be made to work in the citizens’ best interest and how these dollars are spent should be given the most careful of reviews by our officials as well as the public.
