Sometimes we just have to live a little smaller
By Justin Zmyewski
The Houston County tax levy has increased by approximately 116% since 2005, more than five times the national inflation rate within the same time frame. Since 2014 ,the county tax levy has increased by 10.5% (nearly $1.4 million) continuing to outpace the national inflation rate.
With a population that is shrinking and a population that is seeing more and more citizens on fixed incomes the county board has no choice but to focus on judicious spending, keeping the tax payers in the forefront as they should always do.
First and foremost it is the job of the county board to set the tax levy creating a county budget. Secondly it is the job of the department heads to operate within this budget. If budget cuts are necessary to stay within budget limits, those cuts should be made by the department heads, as no commissioner knows the job of a department head better than a department head, nor should they.
The problem in Houston County is that past practice has the county board setting the tax levy from the “inside out,” which lends itself to the tax levy being set by the departments. In the process of setting the budget for the up-coming year, the department heads are given no monetary guidelines from the board in which to operate. Instead, the department heads give monetary direction to the board. This is when you hear commissioners say “there is nowhere to cut so we have to raise the tax levy.” History tells us that means a tax levy increase. This “inside out” no cut, no sacrifice, no belt tightening practice is tough on tax payers.
At the county board meeting on Tuesday, September 27 in an attempt to slow annual tax levy increases, giving national inflation a chance to catch up to Houston County, I motioned for a 0% tax levy increase for 2017. This would leave it up to each department head to operate within a 0% budget increase, adjusting their spending accordingly, making cuts if necessary. The following is a roll call vote of my motion for a 0% tax levy increase for 2017 cultivating the idea that “sometimes we just have to live a little smaller” and I do commend those department heads who on their own have chosen to do just that.
District 1: Judy Storlie – NO. District 2: Justin Zmyewski – YES. District 3: Steve Schuldt – NO. District 4: Teresa Walter – NO. District 5: Dana Kjome – YES.
Three commissioners have kept their streak of annual tax levy increases alive, their vote has reassured Houston County tax payers that staying ahead of the national inflation rate will not be an issue. Although the final budget won’t be set until the end of the year, any question about another tax levy increase may very well have been answered.