Dexter rankled by unfunded state mandates

Reg Dexter is no spring chicken when it comes to raising the roof about the state’s unfunded mandates and how they exacerbate Oconee County’s financial standing. Dexter, chairman of budget and finance committee of county council, has been sounding an alarm for years. He has taken the complaint directly to the county’s state lawmakers, but without success. As the time draws near to create another county budget, Dexter has written a letter about the Local Government Fund to the members of Voice of Southern Oconee—who populate the district he represents. “First, all taxpayers should be concerned that money is not coming back to our counties. Secondly, our state legislators tell us that they have not increased taxes. In actuality, they have reduced counting funding, forcing local governments to increase taxes to pay for services that the state should be supplementing,” he said in a letter re-printed in VOSO’s “What’s happening in south Oconee County?” Dexter finished his letter by listing the names of the delegation members, along with phone numbers to contact them.