Set some goals for 2016

New Year’s Resolutions often end up in the trash before the first month of the year is over.
But setting goals is important. And with that in mind, here are some things we’d like to see in 2016:

•Progress on the county’s flooding problems.
With massive amounts of rain falling over the course of the last week, we were reminded of just how quickly water can rise, both in the rivers and on the streets. No, downtown Portland wasn’t flooded, but the high water signs were out on some streets and county roads that were impassable.
Flooding was the talk of the summer as Fort Recovery Jubilee was canceled, a day of activities at the Jay County Fair was washed out and downtown Portland was under water three times. But since August, local officials have been fairly quiet on the topic.
It’s unlikely there will ever be a complete solution to the problem. Sometimes there’s just too much water and nowhere for it to go. But downtown Portland certainly shouldn’t be in a position where it can be under water three times in one summer as it was in June and July.
Finding a fix will take a consistent, concerted effort to create a comprehensive, long-term plan.

•Improved funding for infrastructure projects.
The state of roads and bridges is a concern at the local, state and national levels.
The 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure from the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the country a D-plus and estimated a need of $3.6 trillion in investment by 2020. That same report rated Indiana’s bridges a C-plus and its roads a C-minus — not failing grades, but not anything to be proud of either. And we all know there are local roads in need of repair.
Much of the problem is that there is simply not enough money in local, state and federal budgets to handle all of the upgrades that are needed.
Though no one likes the idea of higher taxes, it would seem the simplest way to help solve the problem would be to raise the gas tax. At the federal level, the tax has been stagnant at 18.4 center per gallon since 1993. It’s been 12 years since Indiana has increased its tax rate of 18 cents per gallon.

•Starting the budget process long before “budget time.”
Each August, local government groups start looking at their budgets, usually with an eye on approving them in September. The process tends involve a cursory, at best, review of a group’s finances.
Sometimes, that’s OK. There are some organizations that are in such strong financial shape or have so few funds that it doesn’t take much time.
But there are others that deserve, and require, much more.
An example is county council, which didn’t allow itself enough time to make cuts required to balance its 2016 budget. Instead, it dipped into its rainy day fund for half a million dollars.
That move was able to cover the county for the coming year, but it’s not a long-term solution.
There has been talk of starting the budget discussion earlier this year, like in July, but we’d encourage a more proactive approach. Knowing that cuts are likely to be necessary, it would be wise to start breaking down budgets with department heads now. — R.C.