There’s a commonly repeated thought about government spending — often proven true — that entities will spend as much as they can on a project to avoid having to return any money. 

This is not necessarily always a bad thing — I trust Park County School District 1 to know how best to use taxpayer dollars to fund local schools and therefore support the district finding ways to utilize all of the state funding it can to improve student outcomes, as opposed to having so much of a surplus at the end of the year that a sizeable chunk of money has to be returned to the state. 

However, when it’s multiple local agencies involved, I appreciate seeing one not simply work to squeeze as much money as it can from a funding source. 

Case in point: The new Powell Library building project came in so much under budget that the county is set to be able to reuse all $3.2 million it had promised to help fund the project. 

What that means is those funds can instead be directed to the cost of needed HVAC overhaul work on the Park County Detention Center. That in turn will free up other money down the road, which could be very helpful for future important projects during a time where a potential 50% property tax cut looms over future county budgets. 

Groathouse Construction, which served as the general contractor of this project (and also led the NWC Student Center construction project, also on time and under budget), should also be praised for ensuring costs didn’t exceed what was necessary. 

From what I see, this shows many of our local government entities and public organizations understand well that they are to be good stewards of taxpayer money. 

And this isn't to say that the new library is in some way lacking because total expenditures were much less than the available dollars. Instead, the new building, in my opinion, looks very nice on the corner of Third and Clark streets with its wonderful front of brick and windows and its spacious interior, much brighter and more  usable than before — benefits for both those who come to the library and staff. 

So, whether you went to check it out over the weekend or have only seen it while driving by, take a moment to appreciate not just the look of the nice new building, but the efficiency and nod to the taxpayers taken in its completion.