TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Leon County Commissioner, District One Bill Proctor has sent a letter to Tallahassee City Commissioners asking them to not raise property taxes by 27% as proposed, saying it will greatly impact the residents in his district.
Some of the 36 reasons listed are serious concerns, others somewhat humorous, but Comm. Proctor hopes his letter will make a difference when it comes to budget making decisions.
Commissioner Bill Proctor's full letter is below:
Dear Commissioners:
On behalf of myself and the citizens of Leon County, District One I convey to you twenty-seven plus reasons why the citizens are against property taxes being increased to the tune of 27 percent.
Thank you for your review of these twenty-seven reasons that should recalibrate your actions against a property tax increase against this city’s most economically challenged citizens.
27-plus reasons why I oppose the proposed City of Tallahassee’s 27% property tax increase:
1. District One residents overwhelmingly oppose the 27% tax increase.
2. Morgan and Morgan Law Firm has not endorsed this tax increase as being “For the People.”
3. Tallahassee Democrat Editorial Board has opposed the 27% tax increase.
4. Few people received a 27% pay raise except FSU football players drafted by the NFL.
5. Many people have no job. Some did good to keep their jobs. They received no raises and have barely kept their jobs over the past year.
6. Although eighty-two million dollars is in the City’s reserve fund, pay raises for City employees will be exacted from property taxes to the tune of 2.6 million dollars. The poorest citizens should not have to pay for the raises of City employees.
7. Utility revenue transferred to the City’s general fund to sustain City operations will be 26% next year. Utility revenue functions, therefore, as a tax to undergird the cost of City services and salaries, which equates to a very disproportionate regressive tax, this means that the poorest people contribute more of their income toward utility purchases.
8. Utility fees are a second tax. Can surplus or unexpected profits, along with a set percentage of monthly electric revenue, be channeled to a trust fund to underwrite the bills of the elderly and to assist women with young children?
9. District One citizens are looking for economic stability. Oppressive taxation from the City, for the City’s coffers, causes economic destabilization for District One households.
10. District One citizens still lack equal public investment and basic infrastructure outside the CRA.
11. Dunn Street, where the police ordered the tased Ms. Young out of the road, still lacks sidewalks.
12. North Ridge Road sidewalk remains incomplete.
13. Springfield Community lacks sidewalks.
14. District One lacks sufficient covered bus stops with seats, where approximately 65% of Star Metro riders live.
15. Dade Street pool was once 18 feet deep and was competition sized with competition diving boards. Without the community’s consent, it was reduced into a kiddy splash pool of 3 1/2 feet deep. We want a new pool for Springfield that is competition sized like before.
16. The City’s Park in front of Riley Elementary School and between Alabama Street is an eye sore and remains woefully unattended to and incomplete. We ask for a finished product.
17. My Sunday School teacher opposes the proposed higher City taxes.
18. There is no guarantee that hiring more police will improve community interaction or raise the current level of policing standards.
19. Raising property taxes and hiring more police will not change the culture of Tallahassee Police Department. This culture is primarily set and regulated through its police union. Neither the citizens nor the city commission seem capable of balancing or changing this culture.
20. The police union is driving the train and through its contract with the City, it is forcing an increase in the pay raises and benefit packages for police officers. The citizen property owners’ have no control over the un-elected police union that is forcing the City to raise everybody’s property taxes.
21. We recommend that before implementing this 27% property increase, a study to examine cost savings of a merger between the Sherriff and Police ought to occur first.
22. What amount of the 27% property tax increase will be committed long-term to fund the needs of urban core children where title 1 schools, higher drop-out rates, and arrests occur?
23. Is raising property taxes the best approach to giving City employees raises in their pay?
24. District one property owners do not favor a 27% property tax increase. Period.
25. District one residents will not receive a 27% raise in their incomes this year nor next year.
26. As property values ascend in future years, the 27% increase will extract more of the property owner’s money correspondingly.
27. No City Commissioner has ever disclosed to City voters their intentions to increase property taxes by 27%.
28. Are the voters being sucker-punched or are the taxpayers’ punched-suckers?
29. Although his house is tax-exempt, as a resident of District one, is Governor Rick Scott pushing this 27% property tax increase?
30. Not one citizen survey or poll has been conducted to show that citizens favor a 27% property tax increase.
31. Will the Southside receive anything special, except more police?
32. Business owners, based on their payment history, recently received refunds of their utility deposits. When will residential utility customers receive similar refunds?
33. Where do windfalls, or high profits made above budget expectations, go?
34. With the proposed new police officers, will black drivers and pedestrians continue to be pulled over and stopped by police with greater frequency?
35. With new police officers, will there be a corresponding targeting and over arrest of black citizens consistent with the current ratio of officers and prevailing arrest histories of along racial demographics?
36. With additional police officers, is there a citizens’ police review board on the horizon or will our citizens be subject to a greater tyranny of force with the continued absence of voice to steer and regulate and review the conduct and policies of city police?
Thank you for hearing the concerns of Leon County’s District One citizens and multiple reasons why they consider that your proposed tax rate may work a hardship upon them and their families. Your favorable reception of their wishes would be very greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Bill Proctor
