Fred Green
St. Augustine
Publication Date: 08/10/09
Editor: "Read our lips, no new taxes." That familiar outcry may soon get louder in St. Johns County in protest of the proposed tax increases city and county commissioners say are needed to balance their 2010 budgets.
I personally am surprised that both the St. Johns County Commission and the St. Augustine City Commission would even think about raising taxes at a time when the entire country is in recession and so many local residents are losing their jobs and their homes. The economic climate calls for cutting rather than hiking taxes.
I am even more surprised that the city's new budget proposes double-dipping of a sort. In addition to a millage increase, the city wants to tax residents for fire service and utilities, services that have never been taxed. All this should give local organizers of "tea parties'' that are staged to urge lowering of taxes, plenty to think about.
Where is the compassion of these people who control how the hard-earned dollars of county residents are spent? If commissioners consider providing for the homeless to be a problem now, how much could the problem grow in the coming year if more people lose property because they can't afford to pay the taxes?
I suggest that board members search their budgets for fat to trim. As a former county commissioner, I know first hand that if one really tries, fat can be found in every budget.
All city services have a reserve fund for emergencies. Why not dip into this fund rather than increase or propose new taxes, a move that would help an already suffering economy?
Property values have dropped and taxes have been lowered on some properties in the county. Why not just bite the bullet and leave well enough alone?
People need all the breaks they can get.
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