Anger to Understanding

On Tuesday, the county commissioners voted 5 – 0 to raise our property taxes by 4.3 cents to 94 cents. Along with the majority of the county, I wasn’t too happy. I thought that things would be a lot different this year with 3 Republican commissioners. Promises were made last fall about holding the line on taxes. Were these empty promises made again during an election to get elected? Commitments were made soon again after the elections to hold the line on taxes.

My first reaction was to crucify the 3 Rs in public for their votes. But after sitting down to write this post, after putting my thoughts on paper, my anger started to subside. Were the two commissioners sincere when they committed to holding the line on taxes last winter? I believe they were. The commissioners would have had to cut the budget by another $4.3 million to maintain the constant yield rate of 89.7 cents. If the state hadn’t cut the state revenue to Cecil County by $4 million, it would have been an easier task.

Where would you have cut the budget by $4.3 million to maintain the constant yield? Education – doesn’t work for me, I have 3 kids in school and education is very important to me (plus with my wife on the school board, she would have hurt me). Public safety – I personally want more deputies on the road, not less. Parks and Recreation – I don’t think that there is enough. We belong to a Harford County soccer league because none exist in the western part of the county. Libraries – nope, not here either, my kids fully utilize the Rising Sun library. So basically what I am saying is that there is no easy answer. There are services provided by the county that we want more of or at least maintain at the current level. Was there fat in the budget that could have been cut out? I don’t know, what is fat to some is essential to others. I have to trust that the commissioners that I voted for have done their job the way that I would have expected them to.

Another way to look at this is to look at our elected state officials. We all know that Delegate Smigiel, Delegate Sossi, Senator Pipkin and Senator Jacobs would never vote to raise taxes. Delegate Smigiel and Senator Pipkin are quite vocal about it and I respect them for their stance. If you would take Delegate Smigiel or Senator Jacobs and put them into the position that they had to vote for a tax increase or a major decrease of funding to public safety, how would they vote? I would immediately say they would vote no to new taxes, but public safety is a major area of concern to them. So what would the outcome be? (I took liberties with the state budget scenario, we all know that there is so much fat, no, not fat, blubber, that this would never happen)

I do not think that it is “my patriotic duty to pay more taxes” and never will. I believe the economic policies of President NObama and Governor NO’malley are disastrous for this county and state. I am not happy with the increase in property taxes and am disappointed with the 3 R commissioners. But I will not crucify them for their decision. I think that they did their best with what they had to work with. I will continue to keep the faith that they will do their best to represent me and others. So I will continue to support Commissioners Demmler, Mullin and Hodge.