When someone does a good job, it’s appropriate to say so. Encouragement is a good thing, and according to a book my brother once told me to read, you don’t want to wait til’ someone’s dead to tell them they are doing a good job. So, to that end, it’s appropriate to applaud the efforts of local government in their battle to hold the line on taxes.

Reading the Lakes Region Weekly last week, I was amazed to hear the lengths to which Standish leaders are going in order to keep the town’s tax rate flat. Same goes with Windham. Town managers and department heads in both towns are doing their best to come up with ways to lower budgets so residents don’t go broke paying their property tax.

And because they’re only human and don’t take pleasure in cutting positions and slashing wish lists, Gordon Billington in Standish and Anthony Plante in Windham are invariably losing some sleep in their effort to please the taxpayer. No doubt, behind the scenes, they are being pressed daily by special interest groups in town who don’t want to see reduced budgets. But, desperate times call for desperate measures and these two long-serving town managers know the ones they must please are the thousands of taxpayers that call Windham and Standish home, many of whom are hurting financially and can ill afford higher tax rates foisted upon them by their local leaders.

Billington especially is being creative in trying to reign in expenditures at this critical time. He’s proposing to cut town hall hours to four days a week, saving $68,000 in the process. He’s talking about cutting $88,000 from public works, another $50,000 from public safety, and about $10,000 from the two libraries.

That’s just the beginning of Billington’s plans. He has proposed turning off some streetlights and refraining from new vehicle purchases. The real bulk of the savings would come from halting $1.7 million in new capital expenditures. (I’m not sure what capital expenditures the town was looking into, but whatever it was, Standish obviously doesn’t need them. It took a recession for government leaders to figure that out I guess.)

In Windham, the town manager is showing equal creativity. Plante is negotiating a deal with labor unions to freeze wages. He’s proposed eliminating a couple positions in public works and the library, doing without equipment upgrades, and better managing overtime pay for employees. These are all good ideas and will ultimately help taxpayers weather the current downturn.

But while their efforts are appreciated, the average municipal budget usually makes up only 25-30 percent of a town’s total budget with the school budget being the real driver of the property tax rate. So, while Billington and Plante are going to great lengths to keep their municipal budgets in check, superintendents and their department heads need to do the same if the taxpayer is going to benefit.

Budgeteers should also keep in mind that every bit helps. When you’re planning a budget with huge numbers – as is typically the case with our highly sophisticated electronic-everything school systems – a $1,000 savings here or there might seem petty. But, as in our household finances, a $1,000 here or a $100 there are figures not to be scoffed at. They add up quick. And since the average property owner pays somewhere in the $2,000 to $3,000 range, a $3,000 cut can help a whole lot, theoretically cutting one homeowner’s property taxes completely. (Wouldn’t it be nice to be that guy, theoretically speaking of course?)

Budgeting is truly a thankless job. Town managers, department heads, school officials and school board members are often made to feel like failures for not scrimping enough. But if recent news articles are proof of steps being taken, it seems we can be proud of our leaders this budget cycle. Billington is showing leadership, as is Plante, and hopefully our town councils and school boards will follow their lead in the coming months as budgets are scrutinized and finalized. Because fiscal restraint on our local leaders’ part is needed now more than ever.

John Balentine, of Windham, is a former editor of the Lakes Region Weekly.