Back in 2016, voters were sold on a plan to reduce Sutter County’s $130 million unfunded pension liability. Unfortunately, this promise made to Suter County taxpayers has failed and the county’s debt has grown substantially. The county’s unfunded pension liability has now ballooned to $200 million. If the Board of Supervisors are going to ask voters to approve a tax increase, they should be forthcoming about the county’s debt and come up with a realistic plan of how to tackle it. And if the county anticipates new tax dollars being used to pay down this debt or cover costs, it should be open and honest about it.
