9/9/1987 - Laserfiche WebLink

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kEP �7 dooK 69 Fa43-42 T would have to freeze hiring needed personnel, etc. This also must be balanced out with how it would affect our bond ratings. He assured those present that we have been looking at the Contingency; in fact, Commissioner Bird questioned this from the very beginning. Mrs. Menendez stated that she was disappointed by the token gesture made by the Commission last week and also felt some of the comments quoted in the newspaper reflect a lack of sensitivity to the will of the people. She noted that not all local governments are asking for a huge tax increase. An official of a neighboring community was quoted as saying it is just too easy to start depending on the ad valorem tax, and that municipality is asking input from the people through a referendum on proposed increases. Mrs. Menendez stated the majority of the people do not feel the magnitude of this increase is acceptable, and they do not want excuses such as lack of Federal Revenue Sharing. They want the Commissioners to do their job, control expenditures and bring the property tax increase in line with the growth rate. She noted that the total assessed property rose only 6% and that should have provided some kind of a reasonable guideline for budget growth. Chairman Scurlock advised that he does agree that ad valorem taxes are the most inequitable taxes and basically relate to nothing. He noted that one of the things we are going to be looking at, and must do it before next March 8th, is the question of putting before the public a referendum in regard to transferring some of the burden from ad valorem taxes to sales tax. For example, for our jail, we passed a 14 sales tax for one year; this totally funded that jail, and it was spread over a tax base that was much larger.. That same ability is now available to the county through a referendum, and he estimated it would generate about 6 million dollars. 18