Since I mentioned-it yesterday during the Orangepoltics' Open Editors meeting, I thought to share the matter here online at Orangepolitics.org.
I was struck by the bubbling passion from parents and property owners who spoke during last Thursday's (May 30, 2013) County Commisioners' meeting. In short, those who spoke before the Commisioners pleaded for a tax increase, in part, to fund an 8.8 million dollar deficit for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Systems.
As discussion continues over this matter through the budget season and to gain a better perspective on how this tax increase should come about, I think it would be helpful forVictoria Templeton, Hunter Pendleton, and James Easthom to take hold of this dialogue and elaborate on the means to make-up the 8.8 million school budget deficit.
Similarly, if this has been addressed in a prior post, kindly forward me the details.
In my review of past OP content on taxation, it's been a while [3-4 years] since post were made about special use tax or property tax.
It's a fact that voters overwhelming voted to approve recent increases in sales tax such as the 1/4 cent tax in 2011 and the transit initiative in 2012.
I look forward to the dialogue and let the discussion begin.
Comments
8.8 million...
If the above is true and those in the Chapel-Hill Carrboro School District would like a tax increase in order for them to reach their 8.8 million dollar needs, I would hope that the Commissioners would only see that the tax increase applied to those in THAT school district and not tax the other county residents who don't live in that district.
One way to get the $
Convince the U.S. government to cut 9 soldiers from the military. It costs $1 million per year for a soldier.
Growth in the downtown core
Lease/sell town-owned parking lots for apartment/office development in downtown Chapel Hill/Carrboro. Increase the tax base, and the revenue will follow.
We need to be more open to
We need to be more open to businesses locating in Orange County. It kills me to see all the tax dollars going to Durham Co. (New Hope Commons), Alamance Co. (Tanger Outlets) and Chatham Co. (New Walmart) All those businesses tried to build in Orange Co. but were rejected. Our NIMB mentality is costing us millions of dollars each year in lost tax revenue.