Why we're not reporting on the BOC's budget workshops. | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This article originally appeared in the Beaufort Observer.

It's all a sham

    It's budget time. Every year about this time all local governments go through a song and dance routine developing their budgets for the next year that begins on July 1. This year is no exception. The Washington City Council will hold a public hearing on its proposed budget Monday night. If it turns out as we expect either no one will show up to speak or if any do you'll most likely be able to take them all home in a pick'em up truck.

    The Beaufort County Commission is still in its "workshop phase" of its song and dance routine. Their public hearing will come later. Chances are a few more people will show up there, simply because that budget will impact more people.

    We've been asked why we are not posting video from the Commissioners' workshops. We thought we should answer this so all of our readers can know why we're not.

    We think it is a waste of time and bandwidth. What the Commission is doing is nothing but a sham. They have already decided what the budget is going to be, for the most part. What they are talking about will not amount to a hill of beans, literally.

    Here's "da deal." They are going to adopt a budget that "holds the tax rate to the same as last year." Al Klemm will send out a newsletter and thump himself on the chest for "holding the line" and Jay McRoy will campaign on issues from five years ago. Jerry Langley will ignore it all, knowing that his base will support him because they don't care about the tax rate. Hood Richardson and Stan Deatherage will pitch a fit and probably Donald Dixon and maybe Gary Brinn (both candidates) will show up and complain about high taxes and then Jay McRoy will tell Jerry Langley and Ed Booth how it's going to be and those three along with "yes-man Al" will vote to impose the same tax increase they did last year. Just remember, they'll claim they didn't "raise taxes" but that's a lie. They will simply multiple last year's increase by two, and then the next year by three...and on and on.

    It's a done deal. Why should we waste space here reporting on smoke and mirrors?

    Here's all you need to know. You will pay more in taxes next year, just like you've paid more every year for the last four years. How much more? $5,838,596 more. You can get the numbers by clicking here.

    Just remember this when you hear them say they didn't raise taxes. Every year they continue to impose the tax increase they made before, they have raised taxes. When they "hold the line on the tax rate" just remember they are simply multiplying the earlier tax increases again.

    We will report on one facet of the song and dance routine. At the May 17 workshop Hood Richardson made his annual Budget Statement. Here it is:



    Commentary

    We hope we are wrong in our cynicism above. But we doubt we will be. It is all a charade and a sham just like the Gang of Five have run for the last five years. The Gang of Five have in large measure caused Beaufort County to languish deeper and long in this recession than was necessary simply because they have pulled six million out of the productive economy of the local economy by growing government spending. That's six million that could have been multiplied by local businesses if they had left just the increase in property taxes since 2009 in small business that could have created and retained jobs that would have generated more revenue than has been the case.

    And it is not going to change...unless and until the Gang of Five is broken up. That will take replacing at least two of them and in the next election at least one and maybe two more.

    The issue is not being debated at the workshop table. The issue will be resolved on November 6, 2012.

    If Jay McRoy and Jerry Langley are returned to the Commission taxes will continue to be higher. If Al Klemm is re-elected in 2014 you can count on it just as much as you can count on them spending more money in Raleigh and Washington. It's the same game, regardless of which party is in the majority. That's why we call it a scam.

    These politicians will continue to run this scam until they are replaced with fiscal conservatives.

    We have a chance to do that on November 6. But it will require removing Jay McRoy. Langley will be re-elected. Hood Richardson will be re-elected. That leaves two seats to determine the outcome. If McRoy wins one of them it will not matter who get the fourth seat. If one of the two fiscal conservatives (Dixon or Brinn) is elected that will still leave a 4-3 minority conservative Commission. And chances are neither Dixon or Brinn will be elected simply because they will split the conservative vote and a tax and spend Democrat will slither in...like a snake. So it all comes down to whether the voters buy Jay McRoy's line that he is a conservative.

    And if Jay's re-elected you will see a big new jail and sheriff's office (probably with a gym and maybe a sauna) and a twenty million debt dumped on future taxpayers.

    So why should we report on the song and dance they're putting on? We'll wait until October.

    The issue is how the voters decide to vote on the budget.

    If you're a numbers kind of person, check Jim Bispo's D'ya Think column Sunday.