Newton BOC weighs tax increase
"Thank God we don't get all the government we pay for." - Milton Friedman
There is a property tax battle looming in Newton County:
Despite spending four-and-a-half hours trying to balance the fiscal year 2010 budget, commissioners were unable to reach a consensus at a work session Monday night.Some of the scenarios include keeping various, unneeded pork projects. For example, so-called "economic development initiatives" like a community center in District 2 (where I live).Two commissioners were steadfast in opposing any tax increase, while two were in favor of a moderate increase to lessen employee cuts, and the fifth wouldn't support either scenario.
The total of all funding requests for the budget was $57.7 million, about $9.9 million more than projected revenues of $47.8 million, according to Administrative Assistant John Middleton.
After cutting requests for additional personnel and capital expenditures, that difference has been reduced to about $4.8 million.
Commissioners have been considering several ways to make up that shortfall. One option would cut 62 full-time employees, which, based on an assumption of a $50,000 value per employee, including benefits, would save nearly $3.1 million.
[...]
Commissioners were at a stalemate when the meeting adjourned at 11:30 p.m., with District 1 Commissioner Mort Ewing, who left early, and District 5 Commissioner Tim Fleming steadfast on not raising taxes.Ewing said the burden will fall on businesses and owners of agriculture and forestry land, who pay more in taxes for less services.
A robo call has gone out to county residents urging them to call their commissioners to tell them to vote against a property tax increase. You can listen to it here.
There are places that can be cut, so for BOC members to suggest otherwise is simply not true. Government is waste, no matter if it's at the local, state or national level. If they can't find a way to balance the budget, it's because they're not looking hard enough.
If you live in Newton County, you can find contact information for the BOC here.
[UPDATE] I'm also told that Chairwoman Kathy Morgan wants to hire a full-time lobbyist for the county, at a cost of $100k per year, to bring home more pork. She also gets a take home car. See the priorities problem here?
Comments
I agree there is plenty of places that can be cut - thank you for getting the word out.
; ) Elizabeth
Posted by: Elizabeth Christian | May 20, 2009 09:27 PM
I am the wife of a Newton county firefighter and I am very affraid of what situation we mightvbe in this time next week if the decision is made to cut jobs just so a gym can be restored. I am not against raising my property tax by $22 a year if it means that my husband can keep his job and we can keep our home. We have a 10 week old son and we do not live beyond our means. I don't think that it is fair that commissioners are allowed to play God and completly destroy hard working peoples lives. All they do is drive around dictating and saying things that benifit themselves. They are not the ones that rush into burning homes, cut people out of cars, and save lives.
Posted by: candy | May 21, 2009 09:39 AM
The REALLY IMPORTANT point is this:
How much and what kind of public service do we (taxpaying residents of Newton County GA) want?
Do we want to keep the highest rating of fire protection (& keep our home-owners’ fire insurance rates from increasing)? Do we want to keep the estimated 27 members of the Sheriffs’ department on the job? If so, then you and I will have to pay for these services one way or another.
According to the robo-call, paying taxes is just the “government” stealing our money. THAT IS A LOAD OF EQUINE FERTELIZER! If you don’t believe me then open your eyes and ears and listen and read what ALL of the county commissioners are saying. The Democratic members are attempting to work out ways of keeping as many public servants (people who work for us and whose salary we pay), on the job as possible. So far the Republicans want to raise no additional funds to offset falling revenue and layoff as many people as it takes to balance the budget.
The basic belief of Libertarians, Objectivists and Rich Republicans is that if you can’t afford to hire and pay for your own Fire, Police, EMT, public works and so on, then you don’t deserve to have these services.
I am not a wealthy person and I cannot afford these services on my own so I’m glad to pay taxes to hire public servants to them for me. When I don’t like what is going on I talk to my commissioner or the Sheriff or whoever is in charge of the department that is giving me problems. I am not interested in throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
JJ Hayden
Posted by: J,J.Hayden | May 21, 2009 04:02 PM
The basic belief of Libertarians, Objectivists and Rich Republicans is that if you can’t afford to hire and pay for your own Fire, Police, EMT, public works and so on, then you don’t deserve to have these services.
That is an absolutely absurd statement. As a taxpayer and libertarian, I expect my money to be spent wisely but that is not happening and the BOC is wasting money on frivolous projects while telling taxpayers they need more revenue because they're broke.
You're not being honest and you damn well know it.
Posted by: Jason | May 21, 2009 04:08 PM