FRANKLIN COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY
101 WEST NASH STREET
P.O. BOX 909
LOUISBURG, NORTH CAROLINA 27549
(919) 496-1469
www.FranklinNCGOP.com
May 28, 2006
RIGHT HERE:
TUESDAY NIGHT, MAY 30: LIVE ELECTION RESULTS ON THE PRIMARY RUNOFF BETWEEN
RAYMOND STONE AND DOROTHY MAY WILDER.
What's the Difference?
No Tax Increase But a
Fee Increase
Also: The Superintendent's Arrogant Attitude
Towards the Taxpayers
Commentary by John Edwards
Everyone knows the Smiths, Joneses,
Browns, you name it, you've heard of their names. The only thing is a lot of
them are quiet these days. Pretty soon it will be very quiet in this county if
the tax and spend liberals continue to have their way with our wallets.
We've just been told that there will be no tax increase in the proposed $69
million budget (about a whopping $5 million increase from last year's budget),
but check out these proposed fee increases:
-$45 mandatory "fee" for each homeowner and business to help pay for use
of the convenience sites and landfill. Never mind that we pay more taxes and get
less for it in this county. "I'm pleased with the review of our fee schedules. I
think it's something we need to do," Democrat Commissioner Raymond Stone says in
the May 27 Franklin Times. Of course, according to the Times, Granville and Wake
counties do not charge fees to residents and their property taxes are lower than
Franklin's.
-$4.75 to $5.25 rate increase per thousand gallons on some of the most
expensive water in the state. Thanks to the Democrat commissioners, who stupidly
signed off with a 40 year water contract with Henderson, we're being soaked.
Contrary to what some have said, we are having to pay more for more water usage.
The increase is going from $6.30 per thousand to $7, so the taxpayers are having
to subsidize the rate increase.
-10 percent fee increases for planning and inspections. "It's not like
we're trying to make a profit," Planning Director Pat Young tells the Franklin
Times. You know something, in the private sector, when there's a quantity
increase, the price goes down. Here in this county, the more services are used
the more the fees cost. Figure that one out.
"The county is in excellent shape, financially," said Democrat County Commission
Chairman Sid Dunston in the May 27 Franklin Times. "We want to continue
providing services people need while keeping the tax rate as low as possible."
So why do we need these fee increases? Would we have had a proposed $45 waste
fee for each resident if the $45 million school bond was not defeated? Think
about it. The bond tax supporters said each homeowner would pay about $50 a year
and that $45 tax, er fee, is mighty close to that. Come on, the taxpayers just
didn't fall off of the applecart!
Take a look at where the proposed county tax dollars (over $69 million) will be
spent for fiscal year 2006-07:
33% Education
26% Public Safety
22% Human Services
10% General Government
6% Economic and Physical Development
3% Cultural and Leisure
|
SEE BRAND NEW MOVIES FOR
JUST $4 AT
LOUISBURG THEATER! |
The Superintendent
The vast majority of our tax dollars are being used for education, yet
Superintendent Dr. Bert L'Homme has the audacity to say, due to the $45-million
bond tax being defeated, that the "biggest losers" are the children of
Franklin County. This is the same man who snickered at taxpayers who questioned
how the bond would be spent or those who opposed it. Ph.D. L'Homme further shows
his arrogance by writing a column in the May 27 Franklin Times in both English
and Spanish.
And get a load of this. Even though he and the school board would not listen to
alternative suggestions on how to save on costs for construction of new schools,
L'Homme now wants us to attend school board meetings and speak our minds. Why?
Will we be ignored again?
We have a $2.4 billion budget surplus, so
school board and Dr. L'Homme, ask Democrat Rep. Lucy Allen and Sen. Doug Berger
to send some of that money here to pay for a school. Thanks to the Berger-Allen
tax twins, we're the highest taxed state in the Southeast, so we might as well
get some of that surplus money back here.
Just stop asking us for more of our hard earned tax money when we already send
it to Raleigh. Comprende', Dr. L'Homme?
And, oh, don't even get me started on Lucy Allen wanting to waste over $1
billion to preserve land (how much of that will be hers again?). Or Doug Berger
blaming Washington for the mess he's created here.
And regarding the Smiths, Joneses and Browns. The reason they don't complain is
because, if we're continued to be taxed to death, they will be all that's
left 10 to 20 years from now in this county: at the cemetery.
Contact the county commissioners and tell them to vote NO on all tax
increases:
District 1
Louisburg
Sidney E. Dunston - Democrat
129 George Leonard Rd.
Louisburg, NC 27549
(919)496-7855
District 2
Franklinton
Jimmie R. Gupton - Democrat
152 Best View Drive
Louisburg, NC 27549
(919)496-3037
District 3
Epsom-
Centerville
Robert L. Swanson - Democrat
1669 White Level Rd.
Louisburg, NC 27549
(919)853-3395
District 4
Bunn, Pilot
Harry L. Foy, Jr.
- Republican
P.O. Box 1270
Spring Hope, NC 27882
(919) 269-0299
District 5
Youngsville
Don Lancaster - Republican
75 Remington Court
Youngsville, NC 27596
(919) 556-6577
District 6
At - Large
Raymond A. Stone - Democrat
325 Stone Lane
Kittrel, NC 27544
(252) 492-9663
District 7
At - Large
Lynwood D. Buffaloe - Democrat
165 Bridges Farm Rd.
Youngsville, NC 27596
(919) 556-2477