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To the residents of Hamilton County:
It is with the experience and knowledge gained by serving on the Hamilton County Council for 24 years that I want to reassure Hamilton County residents, our county government has never been in a better economic position than it is right now. I say this as we are facing an economic downturn as the COVID-19 pandemic runs its course. We don’t know what lies ahead, nor can we predict just how bad it will be, but your Hamilton County government is in a strong economic position to meet whatever challenges we face.
Here is why I am confident in saying this: The county has cash reserves in the bank and a AAA bond rating. This did not happen by accident. We got to this point through strategic, gradual growth after the 2008 recession by conservative financial stewardship, while continuing to fund core county government functions.
As one of the most fiscally conservative members of the county council, I can tell you the decisions we had to make were not always easy. Some of those decisions were met with criticism. In hindsight, we now know they were the right decisions, because they put the county in the financially secure position it is in today.
The fiscal conservatives on the council held firm when other county officials wanted to go into debt by spending more on other projects. We were criticized when we voted to spend only the cash we had on hand at the time, which resulted in smaller projects, but projects that still met the needs of the county.
Going into debt when money is flowing in can be tempting, but it is rarely the most prudent way to handle money. No one could see the pandemic coming and the resulting economic havoc, which is why it’s always better to be fiscally conservative rather than giving in to the temptation of unnecessary spending.
I have helped steer our county through both good and bad times, including serious economic downturns and have proven, through my actions, that I know what expenditures are truly necessary for our county and which ones are not.
What lies ahead of us cannot be sugar coated. By all appearances we have a tough road in front of us, but I assure you, we can get through this together. I promise, I will put my 24 years of experience and knowledge, which helped get us to this position of economic excellence, behind my words.
I ask for your support and vote as I seek re-election to the Hamilton County Council to continue building upon the legacy of financial excellence that is Hamilton County.
Sincerely,
Brad Beaver
Hamilton County Councilor