Posted on 02/28/2003 4:54:18 PM PST by backhoe
No HTML tricks I know will get the links & graphics to show, so the best I can do is a link:
-Citizens Alliance for Responsible Spending--
The webpage above is from Citizens Alliance for Responsible Spending- a grassroots group in my hometown which is trying to recall the Mayor and City Commission for irresponsible spending.
I have been told that later- perhaps today- actual documents will be posted detailing figures from the city budget which will prove how profligate the city fathers have been with the taxpayers money.
Bear in mind that Brunswick has about 16,000 residents- and the number declines every year- within a county of about 68,000 souls. City residents pay both city and county taxes, and there is a SPLOST ( special local option sales tax ) which has been incremented again & again, raising sales tax from 3% to 7% on all purchases.
To say that the tax burden has become intolerable is an understatement, at best.
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Seriously, while driving my wife to work a few days ago, I noticed the City had bought a nice new Grove construction crane- about $50,000-$150,000 used, if I recall correctly. What in "H" does a little town like this need with its own heavy crane- you can rent one if you need it!
You aren't blaming the city for all of the rate increase, are you?
The state rate is 4% (Ga Code 48-8-30). The countywide rate for Glynn County is 6% (including the state's 4%) http://www2.state.ga.us/departments/dor/salestax/salestaxrates/rev_sur_current.html There are limits as to how amounts more than 2% over the state rate can be spent (Ga Code 48-8-6). So, there is not a lot (if any) of your stated rate that was "incremented" by the city or that is available for the city officials to play with.
The web site you linked to seems more concerned with spending than with revenue.
That was one trick I had not tried, and I'll keep that in mind!
I place the blame squarely where it belongs- on the heads of muddle-brained voters who agreed to go along with this unending ripoff from the beginning.
City and County ( we pay both, every year ) property taxes have quadrupled since we moved here in 1987. Sales tax has risen from 3% to 7%-- all I know is that we are being forced out of our home by high taxes- and I don't like it a dam' bit.
The action by CARS is likely too late for us- the time to stop this nonsense was years ago, but no-one was concerned back then.
That is precisely the problem here- the budget is dominated, and driven, by the school board. A few years ago we got a Director who went crazy building new schools, and closing old ones- my take is he was polishing his resume' for his next job- "look at all the new schools I got built in Glynn County! I can do the same for you!"
He has even publically declared "I work for the children, not the School Board..."
At this time, still no documents, but private emails I have received from CARS indicate they have been tied up by other concerns- stay tuned.
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