$19M is a lot of money for a small county to repay. Is it time to start thinking like school districts and consolidating with neighboring counties to gain efficiencies.
Here I thought I would be the first one to suggest lowering taxes. But I was only being facetious. It seems to me that is how we have gotten into this mess in the first place. With the property tax freeze put on some thirty years ago, counties were left with no way to increase the funds needed to keep up infrastructure to say nothing of employee pay etc. The State and municipalities have the option of increasing sales tax, but not the county.
At the federal level we have done an even better job of cutting taxes. But of course we have left a bill for our kids and grandkids because of all the wars we get involved in and cut taxes at the same time.I haven’t paid a dime of federal income tax in over 20 years, only because I never earned enough or did well enough investing to fit into the federal income tax bracket.
Has any thought been given to consolidating with one or more adjacent counties, eliminating duplication and lowering taxes?
$19M is a lot of money for a small county to repay. Is it time to start thinking like school districts and consolidating with neighboring counties to gain efficiencies.
Here I thought I would be the first one to suggest lowering taxes. But I was only being facetious. It seems to me that is how we have gotten into this mess in the first place. With the property tax freeze put on some thirty years ago, counties were left with no way to increase the funds needed to keep up infrastructure to say nothing of employee pay etc. The State and municipalities have the option of increasing sales tax, but not the county.
At the federal level we have done an even better job of cutting taxes. But of course we have left a bill for our kids and grandkids because of all the wars we get involved in and cut taxes at the same time.I haven’t paid a dime of federal income tax in over 20 years, only because I never earned enough or did well enough investing to fit into the federal income tax bracket.
Seems like a great time to be considering consolidation!
Check out the newer Dickinson Co. court house in Spirit Lake. A great (and beautiful) facility.