Fiscal Responsibility
What is the definition of a public servant . . . one who puts the needs of the citizens above his or her own. In a time when people feel that our elected officials have lost sight of what’s best for the citizens, it’s good to know that Tom Ellis has been a watchdog for all of us. Tom has brought innovative thinking to fiscal responsibility in Montgomery County’s government.
During his time as an elected official Tom has:
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Taken No Salary Or A Half Salary – With legislative pay raises dominating the headlines, Tom Ellis chose to work for no salary or half of his salary. For the first 2 ½ years, Tom took no salary and then opted to take only 50% when he became Chairman of the Board of Commissioners.
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Worked To Purchase A Large County Office Building – When Tom found out that the yearly rent of a large county-leased office building would be rising from $2.46 million to $2.8 million in 2007, he knew something needed to be done. Thanks to Tom’s efforts, this building was bought by Montgomery County; a decision which saved taxpayers $45,800 in 2007, and will increase to $518,000 by 2011.
- Issued A Moratorium On Out-Of-State Travel – Expressing a concern about travel to “lavish resorts,” such as Las Vegas and San Francisco, Tom and the Board developed a written policy restricting travel which ultimately cut back on the number of conferee attendees. During its first year, this policy saved over $250,000 in taxpayer money