Broward County's response to economic crisis? RAISE TAXES

[redrumloa]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/ ... 9916.story

FORT LAUDERDALE - Faced with the worst recession in 30 years, Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports commissioners are exploring whether to raise property tax rates this fall so they can avoid deep cuts in social services, law enforcement and recreation.

The county faces a shortfall of up to $160 million because of declining property values and lower tax collections on everything from retail sales to the filing of legal documents. That's a deficit twice as large as last year when the county was forced to reduce library and park hours, cut bus service and curtail services for the mentally ill and victims of domestic abuse.

Much of the deficit could be made up if the county raises the tax rate to collect the same amount of money as last year. During their first budget workshop of the year, commissioners raised the possibility of privatizing the jail system, requiring government employees to take time off without pay and partly combining the school and public bus systems.

"I no longer think it's acceptable to take a position that I will not increase millage at the cost of lots and lots of people's jobs and mass service cuts," Commissioner Kristin Jacobs said.

Not all commissioners agreed, and county administrators will begin drawing up next year's budget without a tax increase. The county spends almost $900 million on general operations, about half of which goes to the Broward Sheriff's Office.

"I'm not willing to vote for a millage rate increase, period," Commissioner Ken Keechl said. "We can justify or rationalize however we want, but the people of my district put me here because I said I would not raise taxes."

Budget analysts told commissioners that property values will likely decline 12 to 15 percent. The property tax base fell 4.8 percent last year from $175.9 billion to $167.5 billion.

The analysts said the recession is the worst that the county has faced since 1976. They cited statistics that the state lost 155,000 jobs last year, had only 48,000 new homes built and posted population growth of less than 1 percent.

If commissioners were to raise the tax rate to keep collections the same as this year, they would still have to cut about $45 million from their spending. They said they wanted more information on how such a rate increase would affect homeowners, business and those with investment property.

What this article fails to mention (among other things) is from 2002-2006 they saw property values skyrocket and property tax revenue at least triple. These crooks did not lower taxes when they had a windfall, they spent like drunken sailors. Now they have a tiny down tick in tax revenue and they cry like babies.

Crooks, no other word fits but crooks. Kickbacks, pet projects and straight up embezzlement. Time to bring back tar & feathering! :x

 

[faethor]

Re: Broward County's response to economic crisis? RAISE TAXE

What this article fails to mention (among other things) is from 2002-2006 they saw property values skyrocket and property tax revenue at least triple. These crooks did not lower taxes when they had a windfall, they spent like drunken sailors. Now they have a tiny down tick in tax revenue and they cry like babies.

Exactly what we saw was a 'perfect storm' where the market inflated, investors rushed in to steal their share, home owners took their bit, the government enjoyed extra spending on projects due the the excess taxes collected.

I'm all for the tar and feathering but we need to line up Wall Street, the Government, Realtors, and a number of home owners.

 

[Wayne]

Re: Broward County's response to economic crisis? RAISE TAXE

Crooks, no other word fits but crooks. Kickbacks, pet projects and straight up embezzlement. Time to bring back tar & feathering! :x

I can't speak for the criminal aspect of your comments, but if you look at it from an outsider's perspective.

In the late 90's and up until now, idiots (present company excluded) flocked to florida like it was free pizza night at the whore house and spent waaaaay above their means for houses that -- as YOU well know with your experiences in HSV as well as your return to Floriduh -- should have gone for 1/3 their selling price.

The influx of people meant a MANDATORY rise in police, fire, medical, transportation, and social services, which meant that taxes had no choice except to be raised to cover the costs of the expanded needs of the public.

Flash forward to now, where house prices are getting back to reasonable and there is a mass exodus from Floriduh. Even without the people and the house prices drawing taxes into the gubment, you still have a greatly expanded capacity for everything between police, to fire, to roads that were built to accommodate all those people.

Road repair, EMS, and social services are not jobs that can simply be closed when the demand is no longer there. Taking just roads for example, they don't maintain themselves and the simple fact that there are fewer people on them doesn't predicate that a road won't be used.

I'm not defending the government there. I'm absolutely sure there is waste and corruption, just like there is anywhere else, but when the tax base collapses, it's often easier to consider -- which is all I understand they're doing -- raising taxes on the few remaining than to try to rewrite the entire state budget to become more fiscally responsible overnight.

I do feel for you being trapped in a state that you obviously loathe with a passion however, and I hope all is well with the fam.

Wayne

 

[Glaucus]

Wasn't Florida the fastest growing state in the US? It's gonna land the hardest too then.