IN YOUR CORNER

Many of you have recently paid, or are about to pay, your yearly property taxes. Many more have your taxes automatically withheld, and will only note the bad news when the bank sends out your yearly account summary, or a notice of increase in your escrow payments. Either way the bottom line is the same: the price of government is going up fast in Martin County.

In the last 10 years the population of Martin County has increased from approximately 105,000 to around 135,000 today. This is about 28% growth in 10 years, a number to make most happy with the controlled growth policies in effect during this period.

Expenditures are another matter. In 1993, the County spent less than $115 million, for an expenditure of about $1,076 per person. By 2002, the cost of County government was up to $276.7 million, or over $2,100 per person, a 140% increase. Worse yet, spending has been accelerating, with 28% of the total increase occurring in the last two years!

How has this occurred with relatively little complaint from residents? Because the millage rates have only grown by 16.7 per cent, allowing our elected officials to annually take great credit for 'holding down taxes". However, assessed property values have increased by over 50 percent during the same period. This multiplier allows these same officials to expand County government, tolerate inefficiencies, dole out unwarranted pay increases, and expand services beyond reasonable expectations. This is accomplished by using a budget process that makes it extremely difficult to "follow the dollars".

Also, since homestead laws restrict assessed property value increases to 3% per year, most of this cost falls to businesses, landlords and new residents. Business owners and landlords are in the minority, and a large percentage of the new residents come from the North East, where property taxes still exceed those in Martin County.

If Martin County is generating the income from those who do not notice, or are able to pass it on to their customers or renters, what is the problem? Basically, it is that it cannot be sustained. The urban services district is rapidly filling, which will limit the growth that has funded these excesses. The pay and benefit expectations of County employees continues to grow, and we are rapidly pricing lower paid, but necessary, employees out of the community. These are exactly the same set of circumstances that caused huge property taxes to evolve in many North Eastern areas.

Only an electorate aware of the problem can really effect the situation. Voters must demand a sustainable level of expenditures, an open, understandable budget process, and leaders committed to efficiency.