Last week, the Transcript-Bulletin included a piece by Sarah Miley detailing the travel budgets of various Tooele County departments, “County spends more on travel” (May 12). In tough economic times it is easy to sit back and criticize the expenses of government, especially things such as travel that are often misperceived by the public to be unnecessary.

What the county has done in this case is completely appropriate. Each department has submitted their requests and proposals based upon what they perceive to be their needs. The county commission has reviewed these proposals and approved the budgets to include them. The commissioners have also stated that as these trips approach, each expense will be reviewed again relative to the actual expenses of the county and changing economic circumstances, such as decreased revenues that could result from a continuing recession.

I am a fiscal conservative and make no apologies for it. Government expenditures should be limited only to that which is necessary and fits within the proper role of government. In this particular case, the commissioners interviewed indicated that these trips were for conferences and continuing training. In government as in business, it is vital that employees be properly trained and that their training and education continue. Attending conferences and training that can then be brought home and shared with other employees is a vital part of effective government.

Trainings and conferences allow county employees and elected officials the opportunity to meet and network with their peers from other counties. In addition to the formal training received, these situations provide an invaluable exchange of information regarding their experiences. This free exchange of information helps everyone to improve the services, policies, and programs of the counties they represent.

While I certainly agree that every expense of the county should be scrutinized, especially as we continue into this recession, I also believe that indiscriminately slashing budgets is not the proper approach. It is at times like these that the additional viewpoints and knowledge offered by training and conferences is more valuable than ever. Learning from other counties what has and hasn’t worked for them provides Tooele County’s employees and officials with more empirical information from which they can make educated decisions about the policies and programs they manage.

That being said, however, I also think that it is important for the county to not only release the amounts contained in the travel budget for county employees, but also what those budget lines are intended to cover. Each travel expense should be considered carefully and with complete transparency. In business, many of us are expected to travel, and our expenses are monitored by our managers and finance departments. The voters are the managers of county employees. It is therefore our job to monitor their actions and their expenses. There is nothing at the county level of government that should fall into the realm of classified information.

Real democratic process is only possible with an informed and involved citizenry, and putting this travel information before the public’s eyes can only help to foster discussion about the proper role and activities of our government.

Bob Henline is a Tooele resident and political activist. He can be reached at bob@nonpart.org.