At the Board meeting of December 11th, the Board voted unanimously to give $15,391 to County employees in the form of across-the-board Christmas bonuses. Honestly, I wasn’t surprised. This motion, and the call for a vote by Harry Sponaugle, were predictable, since it was Mr. Sponaugle who had previously asked the County Administrator to determine what “Christmas Pay would look like this year.”
The vote itself was not surprising. What was surprising—and mildly amusing—were the justifications for these bonus handouts offered by Mr. Sponaugle. His monologue can be heard at hcspotlight.org under Board of Supervisors → Meeting Agendas → 2025 → 12-11.
Let’s review some of Mr. Sponaugle’s stated “reasons” for giving out bonuses:
“It makes your County Employees a bit happier.”
Of course it does. Across-the-board free money is always appreciated by those receiving it—especially by those who did not go above and beyond. Personally, I would prefer a Christmas tax rebate for County taxpayers, but I won’t be holding my breath.
“I think the County is, basically, the way you run a private business too.”
That statement is laughable on its face. Government has never made a profit. Government does not make money—it consumes other people’s money. Further, government has always been inefficient and always will be; it is only a matter of degree. That is not even up for debate.
“In mine and my brother’s partnership, we always gave whoever was working for us a, uh, Christmas bonus. Even if we was in the hole.”
Good for Harry! That was a generous and admirable choice. However, there is a critical distinction: the money he gave to his employees was his money. When tax dollars—forcefully collected—are handed out, that is an entirely different matter. The Board of Supervisors is spending other people’s money, without their consent. In many cases, those taxes are collected from residents who can least afford them, in order to give bonuses to employees who earn substantially more.
“Everybody in this County is overworked” — they “got many more jobs than anybody else in other Counties has got” and “Everybody is doing more than their job description is.”
Since when has a job description in the private sector been a ceiling rather than a baseline? I am a government retiree with military background, and I can say categorically that I have held positions requiring me to wear five hats regularly—often with additional responsibilities assigned on the fly.
Along these lines, consider the true engine of Highland County: The Farmer.
A farmer is a heavy equipment operator, mechanic, fabricator, welder, carpenter, plumber, electrician, and—depending on what is being raised—a veterinarian, butcher, and row-cropper, among many other roles. A farmer does not work indoors in a climate-controlled office. Farmers work in extreme heat, rain, snow, and freezing conditions. There are no “delayed openings,” no “shutdowns,” and no sick days—animals must be fed regardless.
Often, a farmer works from before sunrise until well after sunset. Overtime pay is a fantasy. I know of one farmer who, during livestock birthing season, sleeps in his barn day and night to assist with difficult deliveries.
So where is the farmer’s bonus? What does he receive for Christmas?
A 15.9% year-over-year increase in his real estate tax bill—payable in two convenient semiannual installments.
In the bottom line, compared to last year, the Board has approved enormous expenditures: $687,000 for the school accounting issue, $50,000 in additional employee health insurance costs, $17,000 for a new zero-turn mower (a replacement expense that should have been programmed), and additional costs such as taxpayer-funded legal defense stemming from the EMS debacle and the subsequent recall.
This latest $15,391 in across-the-board bonuses is simply another layer of icing on an already excessive spending cake.
This is the crux of the problem: an ever-increasing tax burden driven by unforced errors and reckless spending decisions. These costs cannot be endured indefinitely. Farmers, in particular, cannot absorb them and remain competitive with producers in the Valley.
This is not about generosity; it is about stewardship. And right now, Highland County’s taxpayers are not getting it.