On Taxes

Leslie Osche will work hard to continually earn the taxpayer’s trust, keeping taxes low by driving efficiency in County government. She lead the efforts to SLOW budget growth to 1.8% annually, well below the CPI, through improved labor negotiations and the development of a non-union compensation plan and policy.  Couple that with economic development efforts and low taxes driving housing and business growth that allows revenue to continually outpace expenses.  This Board of Commissioners grew the fund balance from $5 million to $27 million.   

She developed the ACT 13 Resolution that assigned gas drilling fees to the debt payment on the new 911 public service radio system; the development of an infrastructure bank to provide low interest loans and collective borrowing for municipalities for water, sewer, and road projects, and capital investments.  This assigned fees to growth and management, rather than having them falsely inflate the general fund budget.

Working with the Prison Board, she advocated for the refinancing of the prison debt to allow the County to house federal prisoners, with new revenue fully supporting the annual debt service of the prison. 

Working with the Retirement Board, she supported lowering the assumed rate of return, revising the mortality tables, and managing investments toward a fully funded plan that reduces liability on current and future taxpayers while protecting the stability and future of today's workforce.