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Kate
Member
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Posted: Jun 5th, 2006 02:23 am |
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I live in the part of Stokesdale that's just over the Guilford county line into Rockingham. I'm out in the country, and Rockingham county. I hope this isn't off topic for the forum.
We've already been driven out of one beautiful rural county due to overpriced housing, among other things. It turned into an expensive bedroom community- with precious few jobs, much less good paying jobs being brought in. We also left due to the escalating costs of personal property taxes.
So it is with dismay that I've read that that there is a strong proposal in the 2006-2007 Rockingham county budget to raise real estate property taxes from $63.5 cents per $100.00 of property value to 71.5. per $100.00.
That's not a small increase.
Dear Board of Supervisors- many people in this county struggle to pay their current taxes as it is and it isn't as if lots of jobs are being brought in or generated to help the residents of Rockingham county pay those taxes.
The money is ostensibly earmarked for a 1.5 million budget shortfall, a new government center, new jail, a fire station is the western part of the county, education and a 2% salary increase. ( I'm doing this memory so all mistakes are mine)
My questions of the forum members are these:
1) When was the last increase in these types of taxes in Rockingham county?
2) What's wrong with the current government center?
3) Is expanding the current jail a possibility rather than building a new one?
4) No objections per se to a new fire station, but it makes more sense to me for the residents of a district to have a certain percentage of their taxes earmarked for the fire station that serves their district. Ours for example, is Huntsville. So it seems more logical that a percentage of the Huntsville fire district residents assessed property taxes go to Huntsville- rather than to another part of the county. Those in the western part of the county should have their contribution go toward a fire station there. What am I missing here?
5.) I thought the lottery proceeds were slated for education. If this was merely the red herring upon which it was sold to the citizens of the state, well, color me unhappy about that. How much has Rockingham received thus far? How much will they receive in FY 2007?
6) Who is the 2 % raise in salaries earmarked for? If it's for our teachers, law enforcement, and firefighters, I can live with that. BUT, enquiring minds would like to know.
I understand that there is a meeting re: this on June 22nd, and that written comments can also be submitted online.
However, I'd appreciate having the input of the forum members and a better understanding of the issues from longtimers here before attending/ doing either.
TIA,
Kate
Last edited on Jun 5th, 2006 02:34 am by Kate
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bama80
Member
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Posted: Jun 5th, 2006 06:04 pm |
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| Good catch Kate. I benefitted from the development in this area so I am glad for that. The low taxes however, were also a motivation for me to move to this area. Kind of a catch 22 for me huh? Anywho, I wasnt aware that Rockingham offered any services other than the basic fire, etc. Seems to me they are just taking advantage of the development and urban sprawl. It definitely seems like a tax on the rich since it is a % of property value but the poor will also be affected. Dont make me pull statistics on the average household income of Rock. County residents vs other. Besides, I dont have time. Anyway, hopefullly the people on the Board are not wealthy enough to afford the tax increase and their relation give them heck about it.
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Roll Tide and Go Pack. Maybe or maybe not in that order. [insert profound quote here]
This post will self destruct in 10.......9......8....
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DToney
Member
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Posted: Jun 5th, 2006 08:09 pm |
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That seems rather lavish for a county that is in the red by $1.5mm!! Seems like council should do some at-home financing like us little guys (the responsible ones anyway) have to each month & not overspend the budget... that would be like a homeowner in a modest income bracket buying a Porche & a Mercedes... and wondering why they cannot afford their bills...
What is it going to take to get folks to understand we as counties & individuals need to live within our means... and governments should not just pass the buck to the taxpayers each time they want to go on a spending spree!
(Sorry.. that is one of my "bandwagons" that I like to climb on...)
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I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work. - Thomas Edison
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Kate
Member
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Posted: Jun 6th, 2006 11:46 pm |
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Hi Bama,
Thanks for your input. From an article I read today, it seems that all but one of the County Commissioners is "resigned" to the tax increase. One wasn't present. Funny word, "resigned." <G> Perhaps they haven't heard from enough constituents who don't want their taxes raised. 
Unfortunately, I'm all too familiar with the average household income - and how much lower salaries are for the same county job in R-ham than in other areas of the state- including Guilford. The 2 % raise will be for county employee's salaries.
Can't say that I begrudge them that, but if there wasn't a budget shortfall, would it need to come out of our pockets in the form of raised property taxes?
Oh, I was wrong about one thing, it isn't a new government center they want to build, it's a new courthouse (along with a new jail). 3 cents of the increase will go to cover the 1.5 million budget shortfall.
A large portion of the increase is slated for schools and education, which brings me back to my original question.
I thought that's what the lottery was for?
Kate
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Kate
Member
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Posted: Jun 7th, 2006 12:37 am |
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I'm on the bandwagon with ya, D. Toney. If you and I ran or managed a corporation or business and got it in the red by that much, we would very quickly be shown the door. In other words we'd be out of a job.. and no doubt looking at other penalties.
So at least there's a solution at election time. Many of these town council, Boards of Supervisors, County Commissioners and even state Senate and House of Representatives elections are won by extremely small margins, which is why I'm always surprised that there is such a dismal turn-out at primaries especially, but also on other election days.
What is the old saying? " The world is ruled by those who show up to vote?"
Anyway, I appreciate your input. I have a few phone calls to make. It seems ( per the newspaper article I read today) that one County Commissioner doesn't want to use the lottery money at this time because something might come up in the future where it's needed...but I wasn't aware that there was only a one time forever-that's-it-pay out of lottery funds criteria. ( I'm making a joke here.) I'd like to know if he was misquoted, or taken out of context, or if there's something I'm just not "getting."
We did a lot of checking, and a lot of research before deciding upon moving here, and it seems to me that just about year ago the county was in the black by 12 million dollars, which, according to the report, was a good percentage ahead of the recommended amount, and in a good position of borrowing power due to that sum. Of course I can't find that report now, and am not inclined to slog through past meeting minutes and budget reports to find it, but hopefully it's still online somewhere if I just use the right keywords. <G>
We too, moved here in part due to the low real estate taxes, which are not only going to hit a lot of people hard once passed and in effect, but again when properties are re-assessed ( in either 2008 or 2009, I think it is.) And gee, we can always look forward to yet another real estate tax increase prior to then ;-)
Kate
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D. Toney wrote:
That seems rather lavish for a county that is in the red by $1.5mm!! Seems like council should do some at-home financing like us little guys (the responsible ones anyway) have to each month & not overspend the budget... that would be like a homeowner in a modest income bracket buying a Porche & a Mercedes... and wondering why they cannot afford their bills...
What is it going to take to get folks to understand we as counties & individuals need to live within our means... and governments should not just pass the buck to the taxpayers each time they want to go on a spending spree!
(Sorry.. that is one of my "bandwagons" that I like to climb on...)
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