We all know from our childhood history lessons that one of the rallying cries of the American Revolution was “Taxation without representation is tyranny!”
Well, as grown-ups who have to pay property taxes, we’ve also learned that, even with representation, it isn’t so hot, either!
Titus County is a particular bind now. For years local government lived high off the hog because of some very lucrative property value appraisals. Foremost was the Luminant power plant complex, which as recently as three years ago was valued at $429 million.
Last year the county appraisal district settled a lawsuit with the power company for a value of $350 million. This year, the holding company that owns Luminant is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization and asserts its property’s value is only $50 million.
Depending on how you look at it, you could say – thanks in part to President’s Obama’s using bureaucratic regulation to enforce his political agenda against coal – that the plant is worthless. What’s the sales price of something nobody in his right mind would buy?
As a result, everyone’s property taxes are going up for 2016. The MPISD has eliminated the homestead exemption, which means everyone’s tax bill will increase even though the rate will stay the same; the school district hopes to recoup $800,000 that way, and it will still need to take another $800,000 out of reserves to break even.
The county’s tax rate will also rise and Commissioner Al Riddle has expressed his undying frustration at the fact that there’s been no discussion of cutting spending. This turn of events is especially frustrating because, after the election of Jimmy Parker as Precinct 4 Commissioner last year, the court now has a Republican majority.
Riddle’s GOP colleagues, Parker and County Judge Brian Lee, haven’t acted this year like the frugal Republicans some people hoped they were. Instead, they seemed to have joined the usual courthouse get-along go-along gang, which means neither wants to do any serious budget cutting.
Homeowners and small businessmen in Titus County made it through the Recession by the skin of their teeth, and they could use some relief. We all deserve a break from the ever-increasing tax burden. Riddle recommended some potential cuts that were ignored by his colleagues on the commissioners’ court. They instead seem to listen more carefully to the county employees and their family members.
We’re here to tell you otherwise, there’s a lot of people who need and want a break, and this is where we make OUR voices heard!
We want the other commissioners to know there are counter-balancing opinions, and the county – like a business – needs to tighten its belt and make adjustments when hard times hit.
Commissioner Riddle tossed out there some simple suggestions on staffing during budget workshops to eliminate a few jobs that will have little practical impact on county operations.
These include eliminating the positions of Election Administrator, the full-time clerk for the DPS that the county provides, the county Business Manager, County Investigator, and Veterans Services Administrator.
Regardless of what you think of these specific positions, the fact remains that in dire financial times, you have to cut back your staff or go under completely. The county seems to think it can raise taxes indefinitely and not fail like a business would. But like Margaret Thatcher said, in relation to socialism, the problem is that “you eventually run out of other people’s money.”
Riddle also suggested reforming the way elected officials are paid for travel, which has been a bitter joke for years. He suggested the county remove auto-allowances of elected officials and replace with actual mileage usage reimbursement. This would save approximately $75,000 year, he said, and do away with that notorious slush fund.
The county’s precincts have been notorious patronage rackets, with each commissioner having their own private little public works kingdom. If they refuse to make a serious attempt at budget cutting now, there needs to be a radical rearrangement of the resources to conserve payroll and equipment.
That would be accomplished by adopting a consolidated public works department, and merging the four into one. Right now, there’s a ridiculously wasteful repetition of resources and equipment. Also, that would open up the prospects of electing a commissioner whose main qualification isn’t that he can drive a bulldozer.
If we had a real businessman – or heaven forbid, business woman – as a commissioner, we might have someone who understands revenues and finances. One of the reasons Commissioner Riddle sees through all this chicanery is that he was a successful businessman before he retired.
If we had someone in business right now sitting on the commissioners court, he might have an ally is attempt to educate his colleagues on how not to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.
We assure the current members of the commissioners court, who have been listening to the people who benefit from the status quo, that there are plenty of taxpayers who are fed up with the lack of responsiveness and concern about the current tax burden, and if they stay the present course, they won’t like what they hear from the citizens when tax bills are mailed out in October.
There are public hearings this week on the proposed Titus County 2015-16 budget in the court room on the 2nd Floor of the court house. The public needs to be there Monday September 21st at 9.00 a.m. and Thursday September 24th at 6.00 p.m.
The vote to approve the tax rate will be held Monday September 28 at 6.00 p.m.
Call your elected officials and tell them what you think:
Al Riddle, Precinct 1 Commissioner, 903-717-1462
Mike Fields, Precinct 2 Commissioner, 903-563-9292
Phillip Hinton, Precinct 3 Commissioner 903-563-9153
Jimmy Parker, Precinct 4 Commissioner, 903-573-6202
Brian Lee, County Judge, 903-466-6666
No comments:
Post a Comment