Mercer County Commissioner Brian Beader lamented that the new state budget has made some cuts that will force the county to raise taxes to maintain the services that were once state-funded.
Note to Commissioners Beader, Ken Ammann and John Lechner: Get ready to lament not being re-elected when your current terms in office expire.
The taxpayers of Mercer County cannot absorb another tax increase. Not one penny.
Since the economy collapsed in this area and forced unemployment levels to 11.6 percent as of August, the average homeowner is strapped. Some have lost their homes.
Many areas have seen boosts in municipal or school taxes, jumps in sewer or water rates, and other energy-cost increases.
It was bad enough that county taxes were raised 2 mills this year to make up the difference in the sale of Woodland Place, the former county nursing home that has been an albatross around the neck of the county for years.
Luckily, the sale is almost finalized and a legal ad in The Herald last week detailed the transfer of ownership to South Western Alpha Housing and Health Care Inc. About $4.5 million from the sale will come to the county, which still does not cover the overall debt, therefore forcing the tax increase.
The commissioners deserve credit for finally running the county like a business and making the tough decisions that are made in the private sector every day. The sale of Woodland Place and the forced layoff of most county employees for a week was one example.
There is no doubt that the long delay in passing the state budget hurt the county. It forced the county to dig into reserves, which reduced the interest that would have been collected. Of course many of the agencies that deal with the county are also suffering because they aren’t getting funds that are channeled from the state through the county.
But as they say in the real world: It’s time to tighten the belt and pull up the boot straps. County commissioners need to make decisions that will hold the line on taxes.
Will it be easy? No.
Will it be painful? Yes.
But whether there is fat in the county budget or not, when the goin’ gets tough, the tough get goin’ making cuts.
If it means reducing services in some areas, that’s what needs to be done. If it makes cutting the work force — a chore that nobody likes in any business — it must be done.
County tax increases have been massive the last decade or so and it’s time to put a stop to it. We can only hope that Beader, Ammann and Lechner are up to the task or their replacements will have to be.
Opinion
OUR VIEW: No matter what state does, county must not raise taxes
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