Butler County's big debt service bill for 2005 - $5.2 million - was one of the reasons given by the county commissioners for why the real estate tax had to be increased 3 mills this year.

Escalating court and court-service costs also were targeted as a budget bogeyman as Commissioner Glenn Anderson pointed out that "people who cannot live within the laws of our society are driving up the cost of county government."

To avoid the prospect of considering an even-larger tax increase, the commissioners, who also are members of the county salary board, said they were rejecting all requests for additional positions this year. They said they are looking at ways to save money at Sunnyview Nursing Home, ways to save in the housing of prisoners during the construction of the new prison, as well as opportunities for money conservation in the various row offices.

But what the commissioners didn't discuss - but should have, at length - was how hiring decisions over the past five years have impacted county spending and the need for additional tax revenue. They didn't apply emphasis to the fact that the number of county employees on Jan. 3 of this year was 838, up 113 workers from Jan. 3, 2000, and that those additional employees, via wages and benefits, have necessitated additional annual spending in the millions of dollars.

The top beneficiaries of the county's hiring spree over the past five years have been Sunnyview Home, the sheriff's department, the Area Agency on Aging, county prison and the clerk of courts and adult probation offices.

While county government has helped bolster the county's overall jobs picture over the past half-decade, as the courthouse and Government Center job rolls show, the penchant for additional hiring has taken a significant toll on taxpayers' wallets, pocketbooks and bank accounts that the commissioners should at least be up-front in acknowledging when they ask for higher taxes.

The commissioners said no new positions would be created this year but, from a numbers standpoint, the damage already has been done.

The commissioners' request for job cuts in county departments via attrition sounds good, but it could take years to produce a significant impact.

Without a crystal ball to peer into future needs, the commissioners cannot promise not to create any new positions beyond this year. Whether they can even make good on their 2005 intention is justifiably open to speculation.

According to the commissioners, jobs funded by grants are to be eliminated when funding for those positions ends, but that won't affect this year's higher millage total.

The bottom line is that making a significant dent in county government employment isn't going to be an easy task, but the commissioners haven't really addressed the issue and challenge publicly.

Businesses and industries - and other counties - have been forced to cut costs and have found ways to do as much or more with fewer employees. No such serious exercise has been evident on the part of this county's leaders, however.

"The county commissioners take their fiscal responsibility extremely seriously," Commissioner James Kennedy said, as the commissioners unveiled the ways they hope to cut costs.

"The primary reason for the (2005) tax increase is to protect the community," said Commissioner Scott Lowe, who said the community criticism that officials did not do enough to lower the tax hike was unfounded.

What Lowe, Kennedy and Anderson forgot to mention is that the tax increase also will be a wall of protection for the commissioners' five-year hiring binge.

But they should have.

The taxpayers have a right to know.

- J.R.K.