Editor, Gazette-Journal:

Interim Mathews County supervisor Mike Rowe’s revised budget with its arbitrary and unrealistic cuts doesn’t fund the schools’ 12 percent-plus raise. The only suggested cut that could help the schools would be the unfair cut to county employees’ raises from 5 to 3 percent. 

The need for professional services and contracts cannot be ignored because you want to change the bottom line in a budget. Utilities don’t lower their fees because you want them to. Internet providers and services don’t reduce their charges because you want to pay less.

Postal rates went up in January, so cutting the small budget line increases for postage won’t cut real costs. Expenses may change year to year for court-appointed attorneys or required legal advertising or for the group home detention facility for juveniles, but these are costs the county must pay. The Victim/Witness Program has a note in the budget heading that it’s gra...