Step One, Vote for the Same. Step Two, Fork Over Your Money. | Eastern North Carolina Now

Step One, Vote for the Same. Step Two, Fork Over Your Money.

   Election years normally mean that politicians will hide their desire to hike your taxes, spend your money and keep you in the dark. In 2023, we were lucky that the Washington City Government actually showed its hands and produced a budget that included an 8% Property Tax Increase. When I brought this the attention of the public, the outcry took on a life of its own as citizens inundated the City Council Members, the Mayor, and the City Manager with phone calls and appearances at Council Meetings telling them hell no hands off my wallet. One gentleman at the June budget meeting put it best when he said (I'm paraphrasing here) “How dare you try to hike our taxes without consulting us”.

   So the city backed down, pretended they hadn't prepared a budget with an 8% tax increase (which they did) and then were instructed to prepare a new budget full of gimmicks and fund transfers that did not include a tax increase. Victory for all, right? Well yes and no. Yes, we stopped them from raiding your wallet temporally. But they went ahead and reassessed all the properties in town at much higher values in preparation for what they are hoping is an election that puts candidates on the council that will vote to rubber stamp the Mayor and the City Manager's desire to hike property taxes. Only a very few candidates (myself included) have stated their position on property tax increases. Make no mistake that a property tax increase is what the bureaucracy wants so that it can continue to grow, fund pet projects, line pockets of friends, and be spent on projects that benefit the few at the expense of the many.

   I'll be as clear as possible where I stand on property tax increases. No. If you missed the preceding let me repeat it again. No. Every candidate for City Council should answer to you at the very least where they stand on Property Tax increases. Anything less is deception and means that they will rubber stamp the planned post-election Property Tax increase. The stealth candidates that refuse to take positions on issues should be viewed with suspicion. Candidates such as Richard Brooks have already voted in the past to raise your Property Taxes and will do so again if re-elected.

   Homeowners can expect this increase next year if myself and candidates sharing my view on property taxes are not elected. Renters and small businesses owners are not immune from the effects of a property tax increase either. If you think for a minute that large apartment complexes and commercial real estate owners will simply absorb the coming property tax increases you are sorely mistaken. Whatever property taxes that property owners are forced to pay to the greedy city bureaucracy will be passed onto the already stressed out middle class and poor citizens of the city through increased rent and lease terms.

   Early voting is currently underway during the weekdays until November 3rd from 8 AM til 5 PM and then Saturday November 4th 8 AM til 3 PM. Election Day is November 7th. Don't let them fool you into complacency because they couldn't get their tax hike this year. Get out and vote like your financial future depends on it because it does.