The Lamar County commission held the first of three public hearings Tuesday morning on its proposed millage rate increase and got an earful from a number of citizens. Unlike the last such event, no one was there to beg funding for their pet projects or programs. ”I’ll say right now that you can cut the transportation service. It is not the responsibility of the public to move people around,” Preston Thompson argued. Debbie Lanier summed up the feelings of most in the room. ”I don’t know how to run the county government but I do know how to run my household. My income is down 50% and I don’t have the taxpayers to turn to for extra money. I cut stuff out and the county can cut services. I do without. I don’t get my hair or nails done anymore. But, the people on welfare and supplements, they go to the salon and they get their nails done. They run their air conditioning while I am making do without mine. Thirty percent of the people are bearing all the burden,” Lanier complained. The second of the three public hearings on the millage rate is tonight at 7 p.m. at the courthouse.
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