Travelling around the county, I love hearing people say that they see me everywhere. There were a dozen people on Saturday and Sunday who I’d seen two, three, or four times in the last week (and I was out of town Wednesday through Friday performing my duties as the President-elect of our statewide association meetings!).
I love it even more when people shake my hand and tell the person next to them, “this is the guy I was telling you about, the Treasurer that helped me with my problems.”
Dealing with people and their money means working with hundreds of people each month when they fall on hard-times. The worst of the recession has finally improved, but there are still many in our community who are in distress.
As the only elected official who sits with any taxpayer, calls on anyone who needs me, or that works in the long lines at the county at the end of the month – I know that it is my duty to collect the 500,000 tax bills and work with $700 million each year – but I also know that it is my responsibility to help people. That is why we offer so many one-of-a-kind programs to guide people through the maze that government has become.
Maybe it sounds silly that I am touched when people thank me, but that is because my office works so hard to help each person. We can’t make everyone happy (after all it is our job to collect taxes) but we try everyday to make government work with, not against our taxpayers. And, when people remember our efforts it means we’re doing the job you elected me to do … helping the people who need it most.