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Homeowners and businesses in Hall County were upset when they read the headline, "Oliver proposes tax increase."
For Chairman Tom Oliver to ask our citizens and business owners, during these economic times, to dig deeper into their budgets and pay more taxes is insane! A tax increase will have a negative affect on the lives of thousands of Hall County residents at a time when they need tax relief, not a tax increase. The county needs to realize that there is no more money to get from the people.
The citizens of Hall County deserve better from our highest elected official. It is wrong to try to put local government in its own little secure bubble, at the expense of everyone else!
Here's what Oliver should have said: "Raising taxes on an already struggling population doesn't do anyone any good. Families will be much worse off if taxes go up. Many will get salary cuts or lose their jobs totally as businesses try to offset the cost of additional taxes. Business sales will suffer which will mean less jobs being created. The homeowners and businesses of Hall County just do not need to be taxed more."
Now the purpose of this letter is to ask Commissioners Billy Powell, Ashley Bell, Scott Gibbs and Craig Lutz to have the courage to make the tough decisions you elected them to do and hold the line on property taxes.
In these extremely difficult economic times, Hall County homeowners, businesses and taxpayers have had to learn to operate with less money and we expect you to operate the government in the same way.
The point is that when times are tough everyone has to cut back. There is no other choice. You have to operate the county with less money because we the people that pay the taxes and the salaries have less money.
I hope Oliver will rethink his position on raising taxes on residents of Hall County. Otherwise, he will be left with the legacy that in the toughest economy since the Depression, he voted to raise taxes on an already struggling Hall County population that had no more money to give.
Jack Waldrip
Gainesville