Residents speak out on tax increase

dimetime · #1 11-06-2008, 07:13 AM

Recently residents of Centerville have voiced their disagreement over a plan to raise property taxes by three mill. This increase will be about 26%.
The City Hall council chambers were filled completely with more than 90 people who attended the first of the two public hearings, which took place on Monday. The session which took place in the afternoon brought about 70 more people, to also voice their opinions.
The mayor Harold Edwards has said that these hearings were to get people to come and give their input on this proposal to increase the property taxes. The input which was gathered at these meetings clearily states that no one is supporting this proposal at all.
Owners of Businesses have recommended that the city goverment should do away with some of their personnel instead of increasing the taxes. Others have even made the suggestion of merging the police and fire department with those of Houston County.
Edwards says that this increase is needed to re-pay the citys enterprise fund as well as improving infrastructure and even promoting businesses for downtown. More than four million dollars have been taken from the enterprise fund over the last eleven years by the city. The enterprise fund gets its revenue from the water and sewage services. This four million had to placed into the general fund and now needs to be replaced.
Residents are concerned that the increase with have a heavy effect on those who live on fixed incomes, especially with the costs of food and fuel.While others believe that there are several positions in the city goverment which can be made part time or completely done away with to help save on costs.
Residents also say that raising taxes will not help to bring in new businesses, as they will simply locate in near areas where the tax rates are much lower.
On the 10th of November there will be another public hearing on this matter and at this time there will be a vote.

pennypinch · #2 11-07-2008, 02:09 AM

No one likes to hear that they are going to have to pay more in taxes but I think we all may as well face the facts, we all will most likely be paying more in taxes all across the country. I know during the recent election and campaigning there have been lots of promises to cut taxes but we as a whole have a huge financial hole to dig ourselves out of. Where will this money come from? Taxes. Who will be paying it? We will.

dimetime · #3 11-07-2008, 06:17 AM

Well I have to agree with these residents. There are WAY to many high paying jobs that arent really needed. We have to many people in our goverment which sit around practically doing nothing. These types of jobs should be eliminated and this would proably keep us all from paying more taxes. This is something that we the people need to make clear to our president, if we all speak loudly and voice our concerns and opinions then hopefully some one will hear us and start taking some action to help save us all some money. Heaven knows that right now we all could use a bit more cash in our lives.

dollardaze · #4 11-08-2008, 07:58 PM

If bringing in new business is the concern for this town, it certainly is not a good idea to have higher taxes. It's hard enough for an area to get new businesses to come in, without telling them that one of the things the business will face is high taxes.

Of course I'm sure that the government will allow a business to come in to the area with a big tax break, which means that the residents are the ones who will be making up the difference in revenues.