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Chairman Wheeler asked if anyone wished to heard on the <br />General Fund, noting that this is something that is paid by <br />everyone. He informed those present that we don't adopt anything <br />finally tonight. This is just the first of two public hearings, <br />and at the final hearing we adopt each of these funds by <br />Resolution. This is just a formal process that we have to go <br />through reading all these numbers. <br />Kenneth Hill, 167 Anchor Drive, stated that he was not here <br />to speak to the specifics of the budget, but was here to speak to <br />the whole issue of budgets. He presented several graphs that he <br />worked up showing population increases and percentages of <br />increases in taxes over the years. In 1986 the taxes on his <br />property were $5,500, and this year they are projected out to <br />$8,500, which amounts to an average increase of 18% per year. He <br />emphasized that if this trend increases for the next 4 years, his <br />taxes will go to $19,000. He felt that kind of increase is <br />unconscionable, and that the trend has got to stop. He stated <br />that about 20 people from his area wanted to come with him <br />tonight, but he elected to come alone. Those people want to get <br />on the bandwagon, however. From the trend lines, Mr. Hill didn't <br />see that these tax increa-ses are related to population increases <br />which show an increase of only 14% over the last 4 years. He <br />realized that a lot of the increase is due to State mandated <br />services, but reemphasized that the trend has got to stop. He <br />couldn't -say how to take care of this, but if we are looking at <br />this kind of increase again next year, he felt a lot of people <br />will be here to talk and will be talking about recalls. <br />Commissioner Scurlock explained that the decrease in the <br />State's participation in local programs plus the State's mandated <br />services has had a tremendous impact on the taxes. Two items <br />alone account for $3.4 -million of the General Fund increase. The <br />Sheriff's Department's $14.4 -million budget is a $2.,3 -million <br />increase over last year; and Advanced Life Support's $2 -million <br />SEP 5 �� 1 5 boor f( F 8 7S <br />