PRINCE WILLIAM NEWS ALERT: Board to Vote on Tax Reduction
We are in a recession. Tax revenues are declining. What caused the recession? The most likely answer is both too much government spending and too much government interference in the economy. Nonetheless, only our local government has any intention of reducing spending.
Prince William supervisors are scheduled to set the fiscal year 2010 budget tax rate for advertisement this Tuesday, and the latest figure is a bit higher than what was originally discussed.
For weeks, it seemed supervisors were set on a $1.198 rate. But they’re now on track to advertise a $1.212 rate, which “will give them a little more flexibility,” said Susan Roltsch, assistant county executive, during a Friday morning press briefing.
In e-mails received by the News & Messenger, Chairman Corey Stewart, R-at-large, and Supervisor John Jenkins, D-Neabsco, said they favored rates of $1.198 and $1.295, respectively.
“This tax rate of $1.198 will support the county executive’s proposed budget, which reduces govern-ment spending by $56 million,” Stewart stated in his e-mail. “The county executive’s budget is responsible and sustainable. By focusing our resources, it allows us to protect vital county services while providing tax relief.” (from here)
Would you like to see the lower figure? Corey Stewart needs your support. Here is an email he is distributing.
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors will vote this Tuesday March 3 on advertising a property tax rate. I am proposing a rate that will reduce tax bills for homeowners by an average of $548.00 (a 16 % reduction). I want to thank Supervisors Maureen Caddigan (Dumfries), Wally Covington (Brentsville) and John Stirrup (Gainesville) for joining me in supporting this tax relief.
This tax rate of $1.198 will support the County Executive’s proposed budget, which reduces government spending by $56 million compared to last fiscal year without cutting any of our uniformed police or fire and rescue personnel. The County Executive’s budget is responsible and sustainable. By focusing our resources, it allows us to protect vital county services while providing tax relief to you during these uncertain times.
To pass this tax reduction, we need at least five supervisors to vote this Tuesday in support of the $1.198 tax rate. Please email the Board at BOCS@pwcgov.org urging the whole Board to join Supervisors Stirrup, Covington, Caddigan and myself in supporting this rate and ensuring tax relief for you.
Please be sure to tune into Comcast Channel 23 or Verizon FIOS Channel 37 to see how your supervisor votes.
Corey A. Stewart Chairman Prince William Board of County Supervisors 1 County Complex Court Prince William, VA 22192 (703) 792-4640 – Telephone/(703) 792-4637 – Fax cstewart@pwcgov.org www.pwcgov.org
Do you want to see an economic recovery? Then I suggest the lowest possible tax rate. To illustrate the point, let’s compare the relationship between People and government with two different types of biological relationships, symbiosis and parasitism. When two organisms mutually gain from their relationship, we have symbiosis. When one organism gains at the expense of the other, we have parasitism.
Throughout much of history, government has had an almost parasitic relationship with the People. This is comparable to when a ruthless warlord rules. The leader, his family, and his cronies take what they want, and they call this taxes. They leave the People, their people, just enough so that they do not starve can produce more taxes.
The exception is a government that protects the People and seeks to maintain order. This creates a symbiosis between government and the People. Such a government minimizes taxes and encourages growth, stability, and mutual loyalty between the People and those who lead them. Here the leadership forms a covenant with the People. In return for the loyalty of the People, the leaders voluntarily limit their powers to those needful for good government. Within the United States, we call this covenant our Constitution.
Unfortunately, those individuals seeking leadership tend to be overly ambitious. So government leaders almost always want more money, but there is a limit to everything. When tax revenues rise above a certain point, taxes must inevitably stifle economic growth. Money that should have been reinvested in the economy is instead diverted to the pet projects of politicians. When that happens, government must reduce its spending and taxes to revive the economy.
Other Views
Anti-BVBL has published the same memo, and the usual string of comments (here).
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