An Important Message from the Chairman and CEO

For years First County Bank has had to deal with a bit of a stigma. We were the bank that played it "too safe." The Bank that always did things by the book when it came to making loans. The question asked these last few years has been: "Everyone else is doing it, why not you?"

Sadly, the economic firestorm that has swept the nation, and the world, has all but answered that question. And while we are thankful that our officers had the foresight, good sense, and frankly, the mandate to avoid this "sub prime" situation, we are not immune to the repercussions that have followed.
 
Many of our customers have felt the effects of downsizing, and many others have been cautious with the purchases that require money from a banking partner. And our support goes out to those customers and businesses in this area that are working hard to get through these challenging times.

We are proud of the very personal relationships forged between the men and women that work for First County Bank, and the people of this community. And we aren't surprised by the stories we hear where First County Bank employees made a difference in people lives OUTSIDE of the banking realm. After all, the people that come into our bank are more than customers, they are our neighbors. And we are always willing to help, in any way we can.

And when the time comes to make the kind of decisions or purchases that require a banking partner, we want you to know we will have the money to lend, to help you move ahead when the time comes. Cautiously. Thoughtfully.

It's the kind of thinking that made us plain vanilla. Today, vanilla tastes pretty good.

Very truly yours,



Richard E. Taber
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer