Editor:
It’s easy to say “no” to increased taxes as stated in a previous letter to the editor, but in our case with our local option levies, saying “no” to renewing our police and library levies will not save us money.
There is no big tax increase. Council is asking for these rate increases, but the maximum allowed by law that can be assessed for general government services is $10 per $1,000.
Nine taxing entities have to share this $10 rate. Four of them have tax rates that are reduced to keep the rate at $10. Our Police Levy and the Library Levy rates are reduced by 30 percent before they are assessed on your property. So, even if we didn’t ask for more money when we renew our police and library levies, you will still be assessed the maximum of $10.
That’s money leaving Sweet Home that we could use here to keep police officers on our streets and to keep our library doors open.
By increasing our own rates, we are only trying to shift more of that $10 rate back to Sweet Home to fund our local police and library service.
James Gourley, Mayor
Sweet Home