Letter to the Editor: Unite, senior citizens and property owners!
The "Is proposed school tax exemption for senior's smart for Barrow now?" in the Barrow County News Our View segment of December 4, 2005 states, "While the homestead exemption on school tax matters was discussed at last year's Eggs & Issues, there was insufficient dialogue between county officials and school system officials to gain favor from the educational segment."
Is this a case of the tail wagging the dog? Will the "education segment" of our tax system in Barrow County ever agree to control spending when the "education segment" has carte blanche to raise our property taxes? The "ace in the hole" for the "education segment" is when the maximum appraisal value on homes and property is reached, they will increase taxes to the maximum millage rate established by the State.
Setting limits on income and property values to qualify for school tax exemptions is not the answer. An income of $24k or $1m should not enter into the equation when funding education. Ones "ability to pay" penalizes success. A person with a high salary or a large acreage property owner with one child in the public school system should not pay a higher amount in taxes than a lower salaried person with 2, 3, or more children pays in taxes. People with no children should be exempt from school taxes unless they volunteer to pay school taxes.
The 9100+ seniors in Barrow County and property owners must unite and send a message to our "education segment", commissioners and State legislators that alternate methods of funding education must be found. Seniors tend to vote more often and should remove any official who doesn't curtail spending for education Place the issue on a ballot before losing your property.
Len Cooper
Auburn