County raises taxes to stay within budget
I would like to post this letter to the chairman of the Lake County Board in the Daily Herald. I tried e-mailing the chairman but twice my letter was returned.
Mrs. Schmidt, the chairman of the Lake County Board, I read your letter on the Lake County Web site claiming "The recent U.S. economic crisis has caused significant distress for governments, businesses and individuals from Wall Street to Main Street. Even with these uncertain economic conditions, your Lake County government remains financially strong because of the County Board's history of conservative fiscal policies."
I think your statement should be more like: Because of the county's excessive taxing of its residents. Did you know, Mrs. Schmidt, that Lake County is number 15 in the whole United States when it comes to the highest property taxes? We are just behind big guys in New York with California far behind us.
Ur taxes will go up EVERY YEAR as they have since we moved in. Mine went up almost 80 percent in 6 years). Mrs. Schmidt, tell me please: 1. Why do you call it CONSERVATIVE that the county needs more and more money every year?
2. Do we as citizens make 13 percent more in income every year (this is how much you raised your budget for 2009)?
3. You claim that the Lake County takes ONLY 7 percent of what we pay in RE taxes. Let me ask you then why you never give us ONLY 1 percent of decrease instead of 13 percent increase?
4. Shouldn't it be illegal to charge people tens of thousands of dollars to sit in their own house? My last tax bill was almost $18.000.00.
5. Where else in the world (besides 14 other counties in NY and NJ) is the county so money hungry?
6. What was done to lower the budget because of the current recession that we have been in for more than a year?
7. How many people will be ruined by never-ending raises in property taxes? I am currently out of work, caught in the house that I could not sell without taking a big loss. I would not get any loan to buy a new one either since I do not have income. So I took equity loan to pay my duties to ever happy Lake County (Board).
If I do not get work the county will eat what I worked for all my life. With such a huge crisis all over the world the County Board is happy with themselves because it will get their money no matter what from already-bleeding citizens.
I think the budget should be adjusted to our current economy and we, as the residents of Lake County, should be reassured that the government is with us, not against us.
Grace Hunt
Hawthorn Woods