The list of services and achievements presented by Wellington County Warden Joanne Ross-Zuj at last week's Warden's Dinner is impressive.
From new affordable housing in Fergus to new and renovated libraries, from a just-started new OPP station to an almost-finished archives building (both in Aboyne), it's all being done by a hard-working and dedicated staff and council proud to serve the public.
But especially these days, as other levels of government start to tighten the financial reins - as Europe seems on the brink of a financial collapse that might drop us back into a recession - we have to ask, Do we really need it?
The answer may be, Yes.
But as anyone who grows up in a home where money's tight knows, needing isn't the same as wanting.
Certainly, we need to have top-quality care for seniors when they need it. Certainly, we need policing that keeps communities safe while not endangering officers. Certainly, we need to provide a social safety net that helps people survive when they're at their most vulnerable.
But beyond those certainties there are other issues that aren't so clear-cut.
While we want to have good library service that's accessible and fulfills people's requirements, do we need to have every branch renovated or rebuilt?
While we want to ensure the area's historical artifacts and records are properly preserved, do we need a luxurious archives building complete with a lounge-style reading area (with fireplace), landscaping and matching heritage-style stonework?
While we want to be able to drive on smooth roads that are well-maintained year round, do we need to spend money to pave road shoulders for cyclists and pedestrians?
The answer to those three questions, and others like them, could be "Yes."
But there are many people, faced with a steadily increasing tax bill that's moving from inconvenient to burdensome, who think it should be "No." Especially as governments tell people it's time for restraint and belt-tightening, and especially with people still threatened by company downsizing and the possibility of another wave of recession.
Making the right decision on issues like this is difficult. It's more than unquestioningly accepting the recommendations of staff, nor is it appropriate to as blindly vote down all requests for spending.
Making the right decision means investigating in detail why something has to be done now, whether it can be put off, whether alternatives can be found, whether other funding can be found, and more than ever, whether it's needed.
"Need" and "want" are such difficult concepts, because they're often subjective. It's hard to tell them apart. One person's "wish list" item is another's absolute necessity. Even turning the question around and asking, "Can we do without this?" provides no easy solution.
In the next months, local politicians are going to start increasingly talking about their records, what they've achieved, and what they hope to achieve - leading up to the Oct. 25 municipal elections.
But perhaps it's important this time around to elect people not so much for all the things they hope to do, but for how they're going to decide which things they (and we the taxpayers) can afford to do.