This is the letter I sent into the editor of the Kentucky Standard a couple of days ago but was not published which is fine by me. I have noticed that they did not include the tax hearing notice in todays paper like they should have to announce the date of the hearing. I am stretching here, but since they are partners with the schools with NIE (News In Education) that they tend to not draw too much attention in their papers about the annual tax increases the schools force on homeowners, it just seems a little odd. Sacred Cow Tax The idiom - Sacred Cow is defined by the dictionary as someone or something that has been accepted or respected for a long time and that people are afraid or unwilling to criticize or question. This is how, I believe, most school boards can raise property taxes by the legal limit of 4% in Kentucky. I attended the Bardstown School Board Tax hearing recently and I was the sole citizen to attend to voice any concern over their extended period of raising the property tax 4% again for the past 10 years. I am a county resident so I really am not affected by their decision. The Nelson County School Board has their tax hearing this coming Thursday, so I will find out how much this tax will go up for myself and others in the county. I am on a fixed income which I do not get a cost of living adjustment which means I have to find the money in my budget for the increased taxes. I read reports that most everyones income has decreased by 5-8% due to stagnant wage growth. I think it is time that the schools start to live within their budgets and stop asking the citizens to pay more than we can afford. If they continue on this path of increases, it will get to the point that it will not be financially feasible to own a house. I am not asking anyone to deny a child a solid education, but new school buildings and the newest technology does not guarantee that will happen. It is up to the parent and the teacher to see that the child achieves that goal. If the schools need additional revenue, they need to find another resource for that. They are educated individuals, they should be able to find a way and stop creating a bigger burden for the average homeowner who is struggling as it is. I am asking the county residents to attend this upcoming hearing to let them know that I am not the only one who can not afford any more taxes and there is a limit to what we can afford.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 14:46:38 +0000