Higher Taxes, Courtesy of Your Monroe County Republicans
Anyone catch this little nugget o’ joy in the D&C yesterday?
Property tax rates spark confusion
Jill Terreri
Staff writer
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(January 15, 2008) — Rochester resident Linda Klumpp thought her county tax bill was going down this year.She was not pleased to discover it rose by $115.
Klumpp’s increase surprised her in light of an 11-cent decrease in the property tax rate across the county.
The property taxes will support Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks’ 2008 budget, which calls for spending $1.01 billion this year. Tax bills were mailed out to county homeowners over the past two weeks.
What???!?!?!? Taxes going up? But Maggie, Steve Minarik, and the lockstep GOP County Leg all said that it wouldn’t raise taxes:
“I think it’s a great budget for the community,” [Brooks] said. “…it doesn’t raise taxes.”
It’s such a shock. I mean, who could’ve predicted that the Brooks/Minarik/GOP fiscal management style would raise your taxes? Wait, I think I remember someone saying that very thing at the time the budget was passed. Now, who was it?
Bottom line, your taxes are going up. Call them fees, chargebacks, whatever, Brooks/Minarik is using word games to hide the tax increase. Consider this a call to all RTers to report your year-over-year increase to your tax bill to us. Because maybe they can fool some people with their fancy city lawyer ways, but your pocketbook will not be fooled.
I’m not saying this to say RT has some amazing crystal ball or predictive skills. Honestly, anyone who’s been watching this PR-candy-coated, slow-motion train wreck could see this coming. But a lot of people, understandably, want to be able to trust their elected officials:
Charges up 250 percent
The charge for county services to localities increased for Klumpp by 250 percent, mostly because of the addition of the chargeback for MCC. That charge also covers election services, training fire departments and the cost for bill collection.
“That is a hefty increase,” said Klumpp. “I thought we were getting a tax cut.”
I’m sure those 58% who voted for Maggie thought so too. Wonder how much of the vote she’d get today. Hurry! More photo ops!
isn’t this just what the democrats predicted. They ought to be out fornt on this issue raiding some questions. In the upcoming years it could be worse.
And there are other “hidden” taxes as well. Yesterday, pulling out of the Civic Center parking garage after the COMIDA hearing, my fee, for parking from Noon until 1:45 was $5. At other lots downtown, the ones that weren’t privatized by the County for GOP contributing parking lot operators, I would have paid less than $2. On the way out, I told the parking attendant, “I hope they gave you as big a raise as they raised the parking fee here” He sort of snorted and said “That’ll be the day” How true…how true
Republicans raised taxes on Monroe County residents?
I wish someone would have said something prior to the election.
Gosh, do you think it might have helped if the Democrats had run a candidate for County Executive?
But you know, it is a lot more fun to just sit back and grouse.
I’m confused– because MCDC didn’t find a candidate, it’s ok to let the GOP get away with lying their way to D&C endorsements and election victory?
What do you suggest we do instead of calling them on their BS? The election being over and all.
how about a protest outside maggie’s office? does anyone know a stunt man to be the ‘liar’ with pants (literally) on fire? that would create a media stir. but a protest might too. we could have clever signs and everything.
Just like at Kuhl’s office, so we can read about you doing public service in about 30 days Dennis?
I would like to know how to impeach her. She lied. She needs to be forcibly removed from office. How does one go about doing that?
i can work the orange suit, so long as no one dares me to eat hard boiled eggs. we need a lawyer to look at county law for impeachment.
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