Happy Times For Taxpayers?

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After Tuesday’s meeting, the Cannon County Budget Committee is ready to make a recommendation on the FY2012-2013 budget to the full Cannon County Commission during it August 14 meeting.

Taxpayers should be satisfied as there is no increase in property taxes needed to fund the proposed budget.

County employees will be happy as they will receive a 3 percent pay raise, which will be their first raise in five years.

The Cannon County School System may not be too happy, however, after four cents was taken from its share of the property tax rate.

The Cannon County Sheriff's Department will get the opportunity to purchase five new patrol cars through Capital Outlay Notes if the Commission approves the budget.

 The Cannon County Ambulance Service and the REACH Afterschool Program will each get their own standalone budgets.

The breakdown of the $2.44 property tax rate shows 4 cents in debt service, 86 and a half cents for Schools, Solid Waste with 18 cents and the Ambulance Service starting off at 19 cents in their first budget outside the county general fund.

 This leaves $1.16 for the remainder of the County General Fund expenses.

The proposed budget is based on $4 million of estimated revenues at the end of the 2012-2013 fiscal year. Estimated expenditures total $4,402,999, leaving an estimated ending fund balance on June 30th of next year of $125,188.

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Members Opinions:
July 25, 2012 at 1:48pm
I would be interested to see what our county spends per student vs. what we spend per prisoner.
What does that say about our priorities???
July 25, 2012 at 3:59pm
I would say charge the prisoners for their keep, but would the ever pay it? It's a loaded scenario, you don't upkeep the jail/correctional centers then the criminals run free and justice is left undone. But it is an interesting scenario and could some amenities to prisoners be reduced? After all they are there to be punished for a crime, and jail is not meant to be pleasurable.
[Delete]
July 25, 2012 at 4:20pm
While present during a recent inspection of the jail I did not observe anything I considered an amenity. Sheriff Young does not impress me as a person who believes in amenities, either for prisoners or the sheriff's department as a whole. My take from a recent conversation with him is that if he had any extra money to spend it would go to his deputies and corrections officers, who are paid lower than those of any surrounding county.

We are all in this together. It does not accomplish anything to pit one portion of the county's budget against another. All have needs. All have requirements. All could use more money.
July 25, 2012 at 4:54pm
I agree Kevin, I was speaking in more hypotheticals due to lack of knowledge as to the conditions of the jail. I do agree with Sheriff Young that extra money should go to the deputies and correctional staff. And we are all in this together and that is why I can accept the cuts where they have been made, sacrifices are tough but sometimes they are necessary. As I've said on here before, cut spending before raising taxes. Not doing so would be like paying for something you don't have the money for then demanding a raise, it is completely out of order.
July 25, 2012 at 7:40pm
Kevin, I agree that our sheriff is a good man. He is doing an excellent job with very little, just as we all are. I was not trying to "pit one portion of the county's budget against another." I was not suggesting we take away anything from anyone that works for the county. I merely pondered the priorities of all Americans when we spend more tax dollars on those who have wronged society than on those who are our future.
As I have stated many times...if we spend more money educating our children so they can become productive members of society, we would have less need for jails and prisons! I guess it is a vicious circle.
I love the quote: "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men."
-- Frederick Douglass
July 26, 2012 at 7:48am
It is a vicious cycle, and that quote is quite true.
July 26, 2012 at 11:12am
In these economic times it is necessary to cut. We can't keep spending our way out of uncomfortable situations or we will end up like the California Cities we hear about that are declaring bankruptcy.

Another thing we need to recognize is that our school system will never be able to raise our children so that they don't become broken men and women. We need to understand that the home is responsible for raising our children, the only thing the school system can or should do is teach our children how to learn. Our government, and by our government I mean we the people, is creating a you Make 'Em we Take 'Em mentality. I am not saying that a caring teacher or coach cannot have a very positive influence on a child just like anyone else in the community can do the same, it is just that it is the responsibility of the parents to do the raising of the child.
July 26, 2012 at 12:39pm
The average (total) tax rate is around 40-50% these days. Serfs living in the "Dark Ages" only paid about 10%. For those of you who trust the government to make wise use of your money, I believe they kindly take donations.
July 26, 2012 at 5:27pm
@Redeemed

So if we can get our tax rate down to 10% we can live like serfs in the "Dark Ages"? I'm not sure I understand your point. As for making wise use of our tax money, there is a titanic gulf between local government and the federal government.
July 26, 2012 at 9:17pm
The Point is that Government ALL Government from local all the federal, needs to learn to make do with what they have. Just like the rest of us.

Long story short in the past 10 years I have lost about 20% of my income and no way to make it up. NOW how mush MORE of MY money do you want. I have no choice I have to make do. Government must learn to do the same.

What was it Margaret Thatcher said about socialism " sooner or later you run out of other people's money.

Jack
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