Column: County takes the easy wrong over the harder right
By Dan Kontos
“No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.” – Ronald Reagan
On September 19 of this year, the County Board approved a $5 increase to the current $25 “wheel tax.” Additionally, what was originally established as a temporary tax set to expire March 1, 2024, was now made permanent.
The crux of the move was to cover a budgetary shortfall in the Highway Department’s operating funds. I get it, costs are exploding due to our insane fiscal policy at the federal level, causing record inflation, and the costs of everything to go up. No kidding; you should see my grocery bill lately.
Highway Commissioner Nathan Check, with support from others, put together a rather comprehensive layout of the relative costs and facts. I don’t dispute any of this, and I trust Mr. Check’s work and data. I may even support the proposal to increase funding.
But that’s not what makes me shake my head.
During the 35 minutes of discussion at the County Board meeting, a scant few minutes involved any conversation regarding shifting the money from other areas of the county budget to pay for this. In other words, reducing unnecessary expenditures and prioritizing what the County does.
But that would be hard.
It’s expected that this new wheel tax will increase revenues from approximately $1.4 million to $1.7 million annually. In a $25.4 million budget, the needed $300,000 can be found, but it would take the will to do so.
Instead, what we see is deflection, straw arguments, and minimalizations. By a vote of 22 to 3, the Board took the easy way out, putting the burden on the backs of the taxpayers. For me, it’s an annual cost of $90. Fortunately, the Good Lord has blessed me, and I can afford it.
But that’s not the point.
Government is ever growing, and society is likewise ever surrendering its self-sufficiency and independence, for convenience and the sidestepping of responsibility for their own decisions. In general, isn’t it time to look at taking the load off of the taxpayers for a change? Can we at least have that meaningful discussion? Changing the wheel tax may have been the correct decision, but can’t we even explore the possibility of doing something else?
For those who say that it’s just five bucks, no it’s not. It’s the principle. We watched as our elected officials didn’t really even seriously consider the harder right, looking at being true to their mission, over the easier wrong – and making the citizens pay.
Make no mistake, this $300,000 may be framed as if it’s for needed highway operations, but it’s not. It’s simply pulling another $300,000 out of the wallets of struggling taxpayers so we can continue to fund county operations that are unnecessary. Eliminating those would be the harder right.
Can we at least have that discussion? Perhaps not.
So, with that, let’s meet in the opinion section to talk about all of it, boldly, honestly, and with a healthy respect for each other and for the right choices, no matter hard it may be. Until then, remember that God loves you, and so do I.
