County Rolls Back Millage Rate
Once again a blog (this one!) and a newsletter (Henry Citizen) beat out the local press - even the county's official legal organ, the Herald. The following quotations (and final analysis) are not found in the Herald's account of this very important board action.
At the board of commissioners meeting held September 3rd at 5:30pm the board voted to follow the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights and rollback the millage rate on our property taxes. This is an historic event and specific praise is due to commissioners Reid Bowman who made the motion, Randy Stamey who made the second, and Johnny Basler who also voted in favor. Commissioners Warren Holder and chairman-elect BJ Mathis voted to oppose.
Go online (county website) to watch the TV-14 video of the meeting.
The final public hearing was held at 5:00pm, with Tax Commissioner Andy Pipkin as presenter. In the beginning we heard explanations about the millage rate as set by the county versus the re-assessments set by the board of assessors. Holder commented that even with a rollback millage rate, taxation could go up for some people and down for others. Pipkin agreed saying the rollback rate was an average across the county, and that individual assessments would dictate the actual tax amount.
Commissioner Reid Bowman asked about the impact with a rollback. Pipkin stated the proposed rate for unincorporated areas is 11.20. With a rollback it would be 10.965, the same as last year. Bowman said that a rollback, even if it is a minute amount, is the right thing to do. He said, “Sooner or later we've got to look at what we can do to reduce taxes .”
Commissioner Stamey asked the dollar amount of impact. Although Pipkin said he did not have those figures, Bowman said the information was available in materials presented to the board. The impact would be about $5.5 million to the tax digest.
Mathis asked whether all positions in the police department had been filled and expressed concerns about public safety if the rollback rate were adopted. County manager Rob Magnaghi gave information about public safety division and said public safety would not be adversely affected.
Commissioner Holder expressed concern about declining state funding for the board of education and about state grants to the county. He said that in the end the local governing authority (board of commissioners) must raise the needed funds.
Commissioner Johnny Basler said, “For us to go up even one dollar, I have a problem with it.” He added, "We must walk by a mirror and look at ourselves ." Homes carry the burden for Henry taxes because commercial development has not kept pace with housing. But he asked, “What can small businesses do to stay in business? What incentive does anyone have to come here to do business?”
Chairman-elect Mathis said the tax issue is extremely confusing , even for board members. She asked for the communications department to prepare educational materials and possibly use TV-14 to explain the taxation process to citizens.
Holder made the motion to adopt the recommended higher millage rate of 11.2 mils, and it was seconded by Mathis. It failed with Bowman, Stamey and Basler voting to oppose.
Bowman made a motion to adopt the rollback millage rate (10.969 for unincorporated areas; 8.38 for McDonough; 10.706 for Stockbridge; 9.869 for Hampton; 9.558 for Locust Grove). Stamey seconded the motion. Basler voted to approve. It passed with only Holder and Mathis in opposition.
Personal Note: I watched the video of both meetings, listening to citizens who addressed the board, and all comments by board members. The strongest points were made about the economy, falling true values of properties, and impact to citizens and their quality of life. The concept of "need" for additional revenue, as shared by commissioner Holder and chairman-elect Mathis, does not equate to the realities of continually increasing taxes. The concept of "need" was not addressed in terms of reducing spending. Instead I was reminded of the expansion of departments like Life Management under Mathis's agenda. Perhaps Mathis is confused, but the rest of us want smaller government! Thanks to a majority of board members, the citizens won this battle.
Comments
It seems by the meetings about the millage rate that Chairman-elect Mathis is confused about the process. This is very interesting since she is going to take over the job of Chairman of the BoC then she should already know about this type of action.
She has already been a commissioner for four years and ran on the idea she could step right into the position and didn't have to learn the job.
Well, it looks like she hasn't learned the job.
The citizens do not want continued tax increases to pay for any projects that have been continually expanded into a large bureaucratic mess. The more government has it's fingers in the pie the more the citizens will lose.
I appauld the actions of the three commissioners for standing up for the people of Henry County. Hopefully our voice will continue to be of importance to those who stood up for us.
Posted by: Jodie Piper | September 5, 2008 07:57 AM
I just cannot let thisone pass.
From the Herald:
I know and respect Warren on many levels. But this approach IS the problem with growth of spending and growth of government at all levels.
Services will be cut is the mantra of earmark-addicted politicians. Yes, budgetingis a balancing act. Yes, there are essential services government should provide.
But there is also a true need to analyze every dime of OPM the governing authority spends. IS IT an essential service? If not, CUT IT.
Posted by: Larry Stanley | September 5, 2008 08:03 AM
Cut It! I love it...BJ, a Republican, protesting tax cuts. Classic.
Posted by: Rick | September 5, 2008 08:34 AM
Great post Larry.
Posted by: Ryan Larosa | September 5, 2008 09:02 AM
I don't smoke but I would really like to have some of that stuff Warren and BJ toked before this meeting..... Raise property tax while there are more houses being foreclosed on than sold.
Thanks be to Reid Johnny and Randy and all I can say of Warren and BJ is "May the bird of paradise fly up your nose"
Don Henderson
Posted by: don | September 5, 2008 02:50 PM
The quote by Commissioner Holder about "cutting more than the government can take" is interesting. How about the fact that the people have to bare the burden of taxes and cannot take anymore tax increases in their lives. We as a people are all struggling to get by if you are an average working person or on a fixed income. Even people with wealth can only sustain so much. And I agree with Rick it is funny that Ms. Mathis as a Republican voting to increase a tax and this flies in the face of the conservative side of the Party. The problem is that government has allowed itself to become an over inflated balloon that one day will bust from the expansion of itself. There are departments to do this and that and even departments to watch those departments. There are positions that have been created just for friends to have a status to keep up. This is ridiculous but it is the way it has been in Henry County for many a year. It is a shame that the government has trouble governing itself. Maybe one day they will listen to those out here in the real world who have to live and many worry about where the next meal will come from or if they will have a home tomorrow. Adding a tax burden upon those who are struggling is adding insult to injury. How many people here have profited from the misery of others? And how many extended a hand to help those in need? Questions that make one wonder about the mindset of the people in power and those whom they appease. I would like to thank Mr. Bowman, Mr. Stamey, and Mr. Basler for standing up for the people of Henry County.
Decisions made today will tell the story of what tomorrow will bring.
The Doctor
Posted by: The Doctor | September 5, 2008 03:19 PM
Commissioner Johnny Basler said, “For us to go up even one dollar, I have a problem with it.”
Thank you Johnny Bassler. This is why I voted for you.
Posted by: Joe | September 5, 2008 04:40 PM
But of course her supporters don't read this blog nor do the 5400 voters who put her in office. I doubt the 94600 voters who didn't vote ....so I guess they aren't voters... anyhow all you have to do is listen to her speak and you know she is faking it.... and I really thought Holder was smarter than that.
Holder made the remark that the voters in his district complain to him about education even tho education doesn't fall under his jurisdiction he still hears about it. Why doesn't he do like he does when we complain about taxes being to high......ignore it.
Don Henderson
Posted by: don | September 5, 2008 07:28 PM
Did anyone read the Herald? No mention of how the commissioners voted.
Posted by: Reggie | September 5, 2008 08:01 PM
The reason I will be appealing my assesment is the fact that the value of my house was frozen in 2005 when the property values in HC were much higher than now.
When appraised in 2005 the value was xxx
and this year it was appraised at xxx
which is 35% less than 2005.
According to Harper I am paying the BoE 35% over the actual value of my house today.
Its kinda like the BoC knew the value was going to go down so they froze the value......much like they did with their 47K per year part-time pay because a new sheriff was coming to town....and being their pay is tied to that of the sheriff .....because they froze their pay they won't have to adjust their pay accordingly.....freezing values sure is a neat idea isn't it.....
Don Henderson
Posted by: don | September 5, 2008 08:17 PM