A Tax Increase may be Certain | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: Some publications will not publish the thoughts and commentary of politicians while they are running for office. We, however, challenge, and encourage those same politicians to express themslves on our growing platform so that the electorate will truly know who they are voting for in the upcoming general election. Comments from our readers regarding these politicians' exposed positions on key issues important to this region are always appreciated.

     The proposed budget dips into the fund balance or savings to spend $2,191,701. This is money that is not included in the proposed 49 cent tax rate. The new rate becom of es 52 cents if the hospital shortfall is included. This is the last of our savings that is available for spending without violating the target of a 20 percent reserve. The present fund balance is 22.03 percent. The fund balance next year would be 17.6 percent or nine million dollars. The State of North Carolina administers the fiscal soundness of counties by setting an 8 percent limit before imposing sanctions. Those sanctions include not allowing counties to borrow money.

    It is a good thing that Beaufort County has imposed the higher standard because it gives us a good credit rating and provides a cushion for hard times. My problem with this policy that the majority of commissioners can easily decide next year to lower the fund balance without raising taxes. There is no question that if the 20 fund balance rate is to be maintained we will have to raise taxes as much as 4 cents or 8 percent next year. If we do not raise taxes and decide to arbitrairly set a new rate, are we stepping on to a slippery slope as we continue to spend 2 million of savings each year until we hit the legal limit of 8 percent?

    The real issue in Beaufort County is the same issue the State of North Carolina and the Federal Government have. That is “Do we as elected officials have the backbone to reduce spending so we can live within our income?”. The sound management thing to do is to either raise taxes 2 million or reduce spending 2 million. Reducing spending among liberals is equivalent to sin. We have the opportunity to rise head and shoulders above every city, county state and federal government by either cutting taxes or reducing spending. I am at a loss to understand why we want to continue to try to be cute with our financial future.

    I advocate, as I have for many years, to cut spending. I have identified 1.4 million dollars of wasteful spending. Only one other Commissioner, Stan Deatherage, is willing to cut spending. The vote this year is again 5 to 2. Failure to cut spending this year is a vote to raise taxes next year.

    There is a 700,000 dollar advantage to Beaufort County in changing the way sales taxes are divided with the city governments. Also, why do the tax payers need to fund charities? Even more important, why do we need to waste money during these hard times. Why do Republicans continue to vote for fat budgets and gifting money to charities and then spend so much time telling everyone how conservative they are?

    Beaufort County Commissioner Hood Richardson is a 4 term county commissioner, who is running for higher office: N.C. Senate, 1st District. Visit Commissioner Richardson's website to gain further insight into the man, the candidate.
Go Back


Leave a Guest Comment

Your Name or Alias
Your Email Address ( your email address will not be published)
Enter Your Comment ( no code or urls allowed, text only please )




800 Pound Gorilla Words with the Publisher, Op-Ed & Politics The Future of Beaufort County Hospital


HbAD0

Latest Op-Ed & Politics

most voters think EU officials not doing a good job on illegal immigration
Be careful what you wish for, you may get it
Come from behind by GOP candidate is a blueprint to 2024
Biden spending and energy policies to blame
Tuberculosis carried by illegal invaders has already infected Texas cattle
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said this week that the only campaign promise President Joe Biden has delivered on as president is the complete dismantling of the U.S. southern border.
Hamas is reeling after losing two of their most cherished leaders on the same day: military commander Saleh al-Arouri, and Harvard President Claudine Gay.
President Joe Biden’s brother told the Internal Revenue Service that Hunter Biden told him he was in business with a “protege of President Xi,” referring to the leader of China, according to notes by an IRS investigator that were divulged during a congressional interview of Jim Biden.

HbAD1

Gov. Roy Cooper seeks a temporary restraining order to block a law changing the composition of the State Board of Elections.
X owner Elon Musk mocked a news segment from ABC News this week that promoted President Joe Biden’s talking points about the Democrat-led Senate’s failed border bill, which critics and many experts have said would make the situation on the border worse.
That’s the question Marguerite Roza of Georgetown University’s Edunomics Lab sought to answer in a recent webinar on the topic.
The University of Florida has fired all of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) employees and shut down its DEI office.
Hot on the heels of its highly publicized television performance on New Year's Eve, the pop-punk band Green Day announced the release of an edgy new album titled Get the Vaccine, Climate Change Is Real, and Trump Is Bad.
Glenn Beck: 'When the United States government can come after individuals, that's when you know our republic is crumbling.'
Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) reportedly blasted Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for “stonewalling” details about the illegal immigrant accused of murdering Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia college student.
Financial asset manager BlackRock said in its annual report that environmental, social, and governance policies could hurt its bottom line after Republican state officials cut ties with the company over its ties to China and climate activism.

HbAD2

 
Back to Top