No taxes = no services

The following should run as an editorial in the Roxboro Courier-Times either June 30 or July 4.

Editor
Roxboro Courier Times

Dear Sir,

I prefer elected officials who are responsible, responsive and far sighted, and, as such, I am glad that our democratic county commissioners voted for the recently passed budget.
In the Courier-Times of 6-27-07 both republican commissioners expressed their approval for the increases in financial support to education and public safety yet both opposed the .05/$100 property tax increase. Both republicans attended several budget working sessions, the budget has been available for a month, yet neither could cite a single specific example of the excessive spending they complained about nor did they offer any well thought out alternatives.
Mr. Puryear suggested that the budget should be left as it was but without the .05 increase, running a deficit for the second year in a row and drawing the fund balance down to 15%, which would be at least 10% below recommended levels. Endangering the financial security of the county and procrastinating in such a way seems both irresponsible and immature.
We now have a budget that improves funding for schools and law enforcement, both important economic draws for getting new industries to come to Person County, and improves the long term financial health of the county by restoring the fund balance to near recommended levels.
The average homeowner’s taxes will go up by about $60 a year, and the property tax rate will put Person even with Granville and still way less than Durham and Orange. Caswell is lower than Person but has 70% of the population and a barely positive growth rate.
The future is not revenue neutral. Gas price increases, fickle weather, population increases and inflation necessitate either revenue growth or a decrease in services. I applaud Mr. Lunsford, Mr. Clayton and Mr. Bowes for supporting a budget that takes care of our needs responsibly while ensuring the long term financial health of Person County.

Thank you.

Thanks for reading.
Mike