Local GOP Pass Resolution To Repeal Shelter Care Tax
Published by Al Adomite on July 2nd, 2008
I’m not just going to say this because he wrote such a nice article about Mark & I and this blog. But, Chris Coates of the Suburban Journals simply hasn’t missed one angle on the Sheltered Care debate.
I have to admit that I wouldn’t earn the Top Attendance award for County GOP meetings, but I had heard that the Central Committee had moved forward with a resolution to repeal the sheltered care tax. Coates has more details:
The Madison County Republic Central Committee, an advisory panel of all eight Republicans on the 29-member County Board and other conservatives, late last month passed asking that the county strike the Shelter Care Tax from the 2009 levy and budget, said Chair Don Metzler.
The text of the resolution reads as follows:
“The current Shelter Care Tax should be removed from the fiscal year 2009 levy, and a corresponding line item amount should be eliminated from the 2009 budget. Any funds needed to establish a reserve fund during the transition period in 2009 and beyond to provide care for current residents should come from the $5 million in funds set aside for the construction of the facility. There should not be an increase in the mental health budget for 2009 to offset the reduction in the shelter care tax.”
It’s not often that anyone in government eliminates a tax - much less an entire line on the property tax bill - but it looks probable, based upon the comment from Joe Parente.
A three-member committee is still coordinating the closure and ruling on specifics, but county Director of Administration Joseph D. Parente said current plans call for the county to stop levying taxes once the facility ceases housing residents.
“Assuming the facility will be closed this year, no taxes will be collected on next year’s tax bill for the Shelter Care Home,” he said.
The opportunity to cut a property tax levy might outweigh any local hostility over the Sheltered Care closing for any of the 22 members who voted in the favor.
That leads to a question: Which ellicits more anger right now in the county, high property taxes or the closing of the sheltered care facility?
Filed under County Issues
July 3rd, 2008 at 8:35 am
People are outraged at the increasing assessed valuations and multipliers at a time, when property values are declining.
Governmental entities have been spending money at a rate exceeding inflation for years.
With property values declining further, people will demand lower assessed values.
The taxing bodies can raise tax rates, reduce spending, a combination, or borrow money.
July 3rd, 2008 at 8:57 am
What Joe Parente did not say is whether the County budget will include an amount in the mental health budget for 2009 equal to the shelter care tax. If the county does include that amount, then there is no savings to the tax payers. Parente should have answered that question?
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Not sure if Joe Parente was asked that question, so let’s not speculate too negatively. I think everyone feels like the funds necessary to get all the residents squared away in new housing is an important use of the $5 million, even if it carries into the next fiscal year. The savings to property taxpayers will be the future years of the county not being in the business. The “savings” could be “in perpetuity.”
July 5th, 2008 at 9:57 am
Come on Al, I thought you were suppose to be the Republican voice on this blog.
If the question wasn’t asked, then the reporter did not do an adequate follow-up on the interview.
I am not being negative, just pointing out there will be no savings from closing the shelter care facility,if mental health budget is increased by a like amount.
Haven’t seem any response from Madison
County officials,who read this blog, pertaining to the question I raised.
Silence says a lot.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Ron:
With all due respect, I’m just saying that we don’t know if Joe Parente was asked that question and the response wasn’t included in the article. Only Joe and the reporter would know that for sure.
Either way, it’s the county board that votes on the next budget. The question is better directed to the Chairman, the board members, and the transition committee.
I was never saying it wasn’t a good question, I was just saying that just because it didn’t make the article doesn’t mean there’s a specified plan such as you described.
I know a couple reporters read this blog, so perhaps the question will get asked or at least a couple reporters will be aware of the potential “loophole.”
But, why would the county Democrats go through all this work to save this money if they’re going to instead put it in an annual mental health budget? Wouldn’t it be more likely that the savings would get redistributed to a county jail expansion or to the levees or to some other project? Not saying it will be, but if one were to be cynical about it, that scenario would seem more likely.