Three Questions: Brown & Castor

On Oct. 25, we submitted the following three questions to both the Brown-Castor (R) and Shapiro-Richards (D) campaigns for Montgomery County Commissioner, with the promise that each campaign's unedited responses would be published in full on Patch.

. The responses from the Brown-Castor campaign arrived this morning. They follow below.

Patch: What is the likelihood that at the end of 2012, Montgomery County will have maintained or increased its existing level of services without raising county taxes? Please explain your answer.

Brown-Castor: The current administration's borrow-and-spend policies have placed the county's finances in jeopardy by reducing the cash reserves to a point below what the county's owes in debt service. While difficult decisions lie ahead, there is always a way to find savings in government budgets. The Brown-Castor ticket features the only candidates for county commissioner who have never raised taxes or supported a tax increase. Our opponents cannot say the same. Both candidates have also voted against reckless spending at every opportunity, and they will address the county's budget crisis head on to find ways to improve the county's bottom line without reducing services or raising taxes.

Patch: Aside from its impact on property tax bills, what do you imagine to be the typical Montgomery County resident's greatest concern when they think about the county government?

Brown-Castor: Aside from property taxes, county residents' greatest concern is about the quality of county services received in return for their tax money. Our job as commissioners will be to insure that county taxpayers continue to receive a high level of service in all county offices without adding to their tax burden. That is why we urge voters to elect the entire Brown-Castor Team for Montgomery County, from Clerk of Courts to Treasurer, so that we can all work together as a proven fiscally conservative team to keep taxes low and promote business that will create jobs and grow the economy. County residents do not want government getting in the way of the economy at this crucial juncture in the history of our county and nation.

Patch: What is the biggest decision the current Board of Commissioners got right? What is the biggest blunder it committed? What would you have done differently?

Brown-Castor: The current Board of Commissioners has committed its biggest blunder each year by passing an annual budget with more borrowing and spending than the year before. The most important job of the commissioners is keeping the county's annual expenses in line with its revenue. Bruce Castor has voted against each irresponsible budget passed by the majority commissioners over the past four years, and together with Jenny Brown as the new majority, they will restore fiscal sanity with rational policies regarding the county's fund balance, debt limit, and financial forecasting. The will also put the county's check register online so that taxpayers can see exactly where and how their money is being spent, thus increasing transparency and accountability of their elected officials.