For discussion. Its time to have an OPEN and HONEST discussion about the city tax on the ballot next month. Those opposed to it, (specifically Mayor James Hightower and his usual band of not in your circle supporters) have yet to offer anything as to how to offset the loss of revenue to the city coming due to recent legislation in Michigan repealing personal property taxes usually levied on businesses. That loss of revenue from the state will result in the eventual levying of that cost (maintaining city infrastructure, public library services, some school aid, water usage, pay of Public Safety Officers to protect the people, etc.) on to Benton Harbor personal property owners in order to sustain those services. So the reasonable question is: HOW DOES BENTON HARBOR AVOID THAT? How do you stop Benton Harbors portion of the 1.2 Billion dollars that would have came in city aid from being passed on to its property owners? The answer, though filled with complexity, is simple. Generate new revenue to offset the burden. The 1% city tax is one way to that. The REALITY IS THIS. THIS TAX IS GROUNDBREAKING. SO LETS BE CLEAR. ***THIS TAX IS WAY MORE ABOUT CAPTURING REVENUE FROM PEOPLE WHO DONT LIVE IN BENTON HARBOR, YET FEED THEIR FAMILIES OFF OF THE OPPORTUNITES PROVIDED BY BENTON HARBOR. THOSE THAT USE BENTON HARBORS EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AND CITYS SERVICES FOR FREE; THEN DONT SPEND AN ADDITIONAL PENNY IN BENTON HARBOR TO HELP MAKE BENTON HARBOR BETTER. IT IS NOT ABOUT TAXING THE POOR. THE POOR DONT EARN ENOUGH. *** 1. ONLY LEGAL WAY TO HAVE NON-RESIDENTS TO CONTRIBUTE. Never in the history of Benton Harbor has an idea to create revenue from everyone who uses the resources of Benton Harbor be passed into law. Out of town non-residents are now going to be asked to help pay for those resources as well. This tax will allow for Benton Harbor to capture a little bit of revenue from EVERYONE who uses the above mentioned services; not just put it square on the backs of BH property owners who pay ridiculous property taxes. The only LEGAL WAY to do this is to apply a city tax to all who earn income in the city. The city tax rate proposed is the lowest in the state. 2. POTENTIAL PROPERTY TAX REPEAL. New income will place the city in a much better position to repeal some of the current millages in place on Benton Harbor property owners. In respect to the amount potentially generated, this tax could actually lower property taxes levied by allowing some of the current millages to be rescinded. 3. LOW INCOME FAMILIES WILL NOT FEEL THE TAX. Due to historically struggling with economic conditions, most residents of the city of Benton Harbor will not meet the income threshold required to pay the city tax. Chances are, if you received a tax refund/earned income credit; the city tax will have minimal/no impact on you; and youll likely be refunded any amount paid. 4. CITIZENS HAVE THE ABILITY TO SET THE NEW FUNDS PRIORITES. Benton Harbor has a wide range of concerns that need to be fiscally addressed. Being that it is a new funding source, citizens can weigh in on how they want the money to be spent. Job creation with the citys government, supplementing the Public Library, street repairs, community upkeep, workforce development, assisting Benton Harbor Area Schools...the people can have a DIRECT IMPACT on what the priorities need to be addressed by the City with the revenue generated. Commissioner Muhammad has proposed a citizens committee made up of the people; to do just that. 5. BUSINESSES HAVE NOT INVESTED IN BENTON HARBOR PRIOR TO THIS TAX, AND WILL ONLY DO SO WHEN THE MOST IMPORTANT ASSET IS INVESTED IN. THE PEOPLE OF BENTON HARBOR AND ITS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. The Mayor and his usual self-serving corporate interests will say that the tax will deter businesses from investing in Benton Harbor. The question is, what exactly..has deterred these so called business investors up until now???? The people of Benton Harbor need the skills to be able to compete with those non-residents coming in and taking all the decent paying jobs. This has nothing to do with a city tax deterring business and everything to do with providing our citizens with an opportunity to compete by enhancing the citys educational focus and workforce development initiatives. THESE THINGS TAKE MONEY and the city tax can help create that. To say that businesses wont invest solely due to the city tax is FALSE. They havent been investing and the mayor has done NOTHING to encourage an atmosphere for workforce development. 6. BENTON HARBOR MUST BEGIN TO TAKE CARE OF BENTON HARBOR. Those who oppose the city tax (Hightower, Henderson, etc.) havent offered one single, legal, plausible idea to propose a better way to raise revenue for Benton Harbor. The bottom line is THIS CITY TAX IS ONE THEY WILL HAVE TO PAY...AND THEY DONT WANT TO. It is sad when our elected leaders, specifically MAYOR HIGHTOWER (and his anti-tax supporters by default), feels that BENTON HARBOR IS NOT WORTH one penny on the dollar to them, and one penny on every two dollars for non-residents who work here and businesses who call Benton Harbor home. This is a SELFISH and self-destructive thought process. 7. THE FEAR OF MISMANAGEMENT OF FUNDS CAN BE MITIGATED WITH STATE OVERSIGHT/COOPERATION. One of the boogeymen under the bed is that somehow, elected officials might mismanage funds. Two things to point out: (a) The State via direct intervention with the Treasury Department to collect and oversee fund distribution (in an advisory role) for a set period of time until actual funds collected can be determined and correctly distributed to the designated areas; or via the EFM while he/she still has local control. TRANSLATION: No local officials would be directly involved in the collection/disbursement process. Elected officials never have been anyway. (b) No elected official in the city of Benton Harbor has ever been brought up on any type of embezzlement, financial fraud, waste, or mismanagement of city funds. It is a FALSE FEAR used to hinder people from being willing to invest in their own success. WE HAVE TO GET BEYOND THAT BARRIER. That all being said, PEOPLE OF BENTON HARBOR....WHAT ARE YOUR CITY TAX CONCERNS? Lets try to address some of them as best we can...RESPECTFULLY AND HONESTLY. Less OPINIONS, more re searchable FACTS. If everyone does a LITTLE, Benton Harbor can do A LOT. Thats what the city tax is truly all about.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Oct 2013 13:06:42 +0000