This past week Coffee County Mayor David Pennington was quoted in the Manchester Times as saying "Personally I would support a wheel tax". This proposal has been kicked around now for several years even predating Mayor Pennington's arrival to the County Government. Over the past 3 years however the "tax talk" has heated up.
Here is the problem. Just this past year your County property tax rate increased some 28 cents. Contrary to some "office talk" at the CCAP Building this was NOT because of a state evaluation of property values. Yes, the state did reevaluate the worth of property in Coffee County and come to the conclusion that the values have indeed increased. After the evaluation process from the state is completed they then send down a "adjusted rate". The idea of the rate adjustment is to level the tax dollars collected off of property taxes to that of the same amount collected the previous year. The County Government however decided AGAINST accepting the new certified rate supplied by the State and INCREASED the dollar amount one will pay in property taxes.
In addition to the 2010 property tax increase comes the sales tax increase just a few years back, not to mention the funneling of money into a failing County EMS Service. Just this past year tax payers dropped well over $1 Million into the EMS Department. After the 2010 short fall some commissioners claimed the department would "break even" in 2011. This was a large consideration when raising the county tax rate. However the County EMS Service is still struggling to make ends meet, reporting some $400,000 behind budget just a short time through the 2011 fiscal year.
Commissioner Bricken ask very detailed information about the short fall, asking if calls were down etc etc etc. The answer to Commissioner Bricken's questions were even more alarming. No one knew the numbers, no one could answer the questions. Then the most alarming news was the fact most of the short fall was to be blamed on outstanding unpaid bills, but not bills that were simply unpaid, bills that have not even been mailed out for one reason or another.
In Warren County the wheel tax generates some $1.1 Million. This wouldn't even touch the budget problems in Coffee County, so the suggestion Mayor Pennington makes about a $15 proposal is simply a waste of consideration. The reality of it is that the past conversations on amounts have been anywhere from $25, $50, or in some cases even $100 per vehicle.
So let's clear the air. This talk about a wheel tax because it is a more "fair tax" is a easy way out. There is NOTHING fair about a wheel tax what so ever. Fair or not fair for that matter is based on the scale you choose to use. I live in reality so I choose to based fair (for the sake of government) on how a tax AFFECTS a individual.
To act as if a extra $50, $75, or even $200 affects everyone the same or is "a more fair tax" is simply irresponsible. Some folks in this community budget down to the last penny of their earnings, some have left over dollars to save. In times like the present to ask more, after you have ask and ask and ask is too much. To burden a family who budgets to the last penny with an additional $50, $75, or even $200 bill in a calendar month is too much.
The fact of the matter is someone who budgets paycheck to paycheck in most cases spends a larger percentage of their earnings back into the tax system than one who saves. Simply put if you spend 100% of your earnings you are taxed on 100% of your earnings, be it via sales tax or otherwise. For those who are living check to check and paying tax on 100% of their income, what makes it "more fair" to ask more?
How about this... how about the County Government get their own house in order. How about the County Government evaluate the performance of their departments and make cuts necessary to lower the overall tax requirements.
Mayor Pennington can name off 10,000 different projects that could be complete with the implementation of a wheel tax, but can he tell us why NONE of them have a plan in place already?
If I were to KNOW I'm going to add to my family, KNOW that I am going to need more room in my home over the next few years, what am I going to do? Am I going to save the money KNOWING I will need to upgrade, knowing what I have is not going to be good enough in a few short years? Or am I going to go to work the day my family grows and demand a raise?
Some can argue "self responsibility". But before the Government requires self responsibility of its citizens should it not require it from itself? Everyone that owns property knows what type of taxes we have in this county, myself included. I knew this before I bought the property, and I knew what I would then pay in property taxes. If I thought this was not "fair" would I not had the ability to make a "self responsible" choice of NOT buying?
My favorite part of the Manchester Times peace is the quote from Mayor Pennington "Personally I would support a wheel tax to REMOVE SOME OF THE BURDEN FROM THE PROPERTY OWNERS" Ok... so where is the proposal that would do that? If I already own property, and you implement a wheel tax that I will ALSO have to pay ON TOP of the property tax I already pay... how is my "burden removed"?
This is all political talk. Before the Government holds YOU accountable make sure we are holding THEM accountable!
Coffee County Government spending has increase 85% in the past ten years. Think about that 85%...
Alderman Ryan P. French
City of Manchester, TN
www.RyansReasons.com
(931) 368-VOTE
AMEN Brother!!!!!!!!
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