Dear Editor:
As one of the voters who voted down the recent school mill levy override, I think I speak for the majority of those who made the choice not to increase taxes on the hard-working people living here. These folks cast a “no” vote because they are already strapped with taxes and feel like our county, with its huge surplus of taxpayer money, should not be asking for more tax money from a commerce-poor community.
Folks like me feel like the county has spent millions and millions of dollars in the name of the taxpayers without doing a damn thing for the merchants, businesses, and people struggling to survive in this unfriendly business community.
Take one look at our downtown, and you see a complete disregard for healthy businesses and commerce in Meeker. It reflects very poorly on the town and people living here to see the attrition in our business community.
Had the proponents of the mill levy built-in a condition on the ballot that the taxpayers would receive some of the enormous surplus taxes our county has, back to them through offsetting tax reductions, the school mill levy override would have been a slam dunk.
If the county tax spenders really care about the education for our youth, let’s find ways to give some of the “huge” surplus tax dollars to our school students by giving them scholarships, endowments and finding other creative ways to show financial support for their educational needs.At the same time, let’s help small businesses and merchants have a chance around here by supporting them, too.
The fire district recently had a $3,000,000 surplus—yes, $3 million.
With a small portion of that money, Wade Bradfield and the fire district board of directors found a way to help the school district by helping with fire suppression costs that saved the school district around $50,000. That’s a good start by finding a way for existing tax dollars to fund our school district without asking for more tax money from you and me.
Did you know that we are one of the richest per-capita counties in the state in tax funds?
There’s no excuse for the county and tax districts that serve the taxpayers and our community to increase our taxes.
Creative ways to spend our tax money for the benefit of the people living here “right now” is way more important then building new unneeded hospitals and justice centers and increasing taxes.
Even though 80 to 90 percent of our tax surplus is funded by energy, every hard-working taxpayer living here is still paying 100 percent of their share.
Quality of life is way more important then having more people. Our rural character is what makes us special (and we’re tax rich!). Let’s show more support for our local merchants and small businesses. What do you think?
Shawn Welder
Meeker
