On Wednesday, after much anguish, criticism and concern, the Newton County Board of Supervisors balanced the county's budget for FY2010. Through the efforts of county management, county employees and elected officials, the final balance was accomplished without raising the current millage rate and resulted in the loss of a minimal amount of jobs.

We have nothing but praise for the leadership of County Chair Kathy Morgan. She, along with administrative officer John Middleton, crafted a final proposal that was unanimously accepted by the county commissioners.

We are pleased that none of the cuts at this time will affect public safety. We also have confidence in the leadership of Sheriff Ezell Brown; he told the commissioners that he will continue to streamline his department without affecting the security of county residents, and we believe he will.

We were also encouraged to see the gathering on the Covington square before Wednesday's meeting, which was encouraged by both the local leadership of the Democratic and Republican parties.

It's great to see people get out of their easy chairs and publicly voice their opinions, especially in a peaceful way. It's these types of demonstrations that have affected positive change and allowed our country to become the great nation it is today.