2013 York County Property Tax Increase

The York County Board of Supervisors will meet Tuesday evening, April 3rd, 6:00pm, York Hall in Historic Yorktown.  The board is expected to consider and pass an 8+% increase in our property taxes for budget year 2013.  We encourage all to attend the meeting and make your supervisors aware of what you expect from them.

Below is one citizens view of the process.

The York County Citizens Forum

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Dear York County Board of Supervisors,

It is difficult for me to find the words to express my total disappointment in you as a Board of Supervisors, as we approach the Tuesday budget vote.  You are willing to raise taxes and have citizens pay  more….again!
 
You all display an (R) after your name.  You attend Lincoln Day dinners with gusto.  You applaud loudly when somebody talks about fiscal responsibility.  Yet the net result is that you ignore or violate every Republican principle.  You talk the talk yet you refuse to walk the walk.  
  
Moderate to liberal Newport News and Hampton have shown more guts and demonstrated more “conservative republican principles” than you have.   
  
Newport News is not raising their tax rate.  They have made the decisions, raised some user fees and actually will pass on a LOWER  property tax bill to the citizens due to lower property assessments.  That’s right.  Property taxes in Newport News are going down.  Maybe you should call them before your Tuesday vote and ask them what they eat for breakfast.
  
Hampton has been innovative and creative.  They are employing Republican Principle #1.  They are looking for ways to use the free enterprise system to accomplish some city functions cheaper.  They acknowledge it may cost some city jobs if in fact a contractor can do something like sweep the streets for less money.  Hampton is willing  to support another republican principle…smaller government. The York County BOS Chairman (a Republican) has publically stated that he doesn’t want to pursue a public-private partnership at the Sports Complex!   Do you just not understand what to do or are you unwilling to do it?
  
What’s wrong?  Why are you willing to sit on your hands, raise taxes PLUS user fees, and not take advantage of ways to economize through consolidation, but rather let the bloated county government continue?   I recently looked over some of the literature several of you used in the last election.  Maybe you should go back and read it.  Or at least cross out any references to fiscal responsibility and Republican principles in case you ever use them again.
  
At the recent YCRC mass meeting yet another candidate for Lt Governor spoke decisively about taking back our country and getting things on a fiscally conservative sustainable track.  He knows the “fix” starts  at the city/county level.  Unfortunately he didn’t know he was wasting his time in York County.  
  
You need to seize the opportunity to get our county government on the right track.  The easy way out is to pass along a tax increase.   I sum up my disappointment by asking “why did any of you run for office as Republicans and what do you really stand for”?
                          
 
Jim  Haas, MBA
Certified  Financial Planner
 
712  Mobjack Place
City  Center
Newport  News, VA 23606

Please distribute my letter and make sure you use my name for credibility.  Nothing worse than anonymous criticism.
Jim Haas

Forwarded by the York County Citizen’s Forum