Douse New Fire District Tax
Commissioner Jennifer Roberts might not be at the head of the table anymore, but tax increases seem to be the order of the day unless what we are reading is leaving something out.
County officials are working on a scheme to levy a new tax. They call it a “new funding vehicle for delivery of fire protection services,” but that’s just how government bureaucrats talk. Why would we need a new tax? The rationale is that the people in the unincorporated parts of the county need to pay their own way so far as fire departments are concerned.
Let us get this straight: the county taxpayers pay taxes for many things, some of which they benefit from, others they don’t. Now the proposal is for those in the unincorporated areas to pay more in property taxes to change the funding mechanism for the various fire departments that serve them. The only question I have is this: Is the Mecklenburg countywide tax rate going to be lowered by a commensurate amount? If not, then everyone should oppose this ploy. Any argument that the people who live in these areas need to pay more for this ‘service’ is hypocritical.
Everyone pays for parks; only some people use them.
Everyone pays for schools; only some people use them.
Everyone pays for light rail; only some people use it.
Everyone pays for libraries; only some people use them.
The everyone-pays-but-only-some-people-use-them scenario is true of almost all government functions, except those that are funded by user fees.
So what is the purpose of this new tax on a specific group of people? I might guess: higher taxes (a typical authoritarian idea) and encouraging people to more easily accept incorporation (another of the same).
To repeat myself, if the purpose is the make those who receive the service pay for the service, then there are many areas in Mecklenburg that could stand such attention. Still, if this is so, the countywide rate should be lowered to offset this increase. I don’t see any indication that is being discussed. It should be.
No, what I see is only about bigger, more intrusive government. Something we don’t need.
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