EDITORIAL: Tax bite

Mar 7, 2010 — The Fayetteville Observer

Mar. 7, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- The one thing that's harder to imagine than Cumberland County voters urging the legislature to raise the sales tax a full penny is the Board of Commissioners voting to raise the property tax in the wake of last year's lollapalooza revaluation.

Some officials are talking, though -- just talking, mind you -- about playing one off against the other: a property tax cut to make voters more amenable to a sales tax increase.

The idea is to use some of that new revenue (totaling about $32 million) to finance improvements to rescue and fire units.

The most controversial part of that package, not counting the tax hike itself, involves compelling all 17 fire departments to respond to medical emergencies. Some departments have been doing that for a long time, with zero compensation for their added labors. They resent it for that reason and others. It monopolizes their resources and their personnel. And it's selective; some departments respond, others don't.

County Manager James Martin thinks that all 17 will gladly take it on if they get a big enough cut of the sales tax revenue.

Before that theory gets put to the test, other uncertainties have to be addressed.

Will the taxpayers do this, even to ensure better, faster response when there's a fire, wreck or heart attack? With the economy still on wobbly legs, will the votes be there to raise one of our more regressive taxes?

That coin has another side, of course.

The General Assembly can be trusted to balance its budget -- on the backs of counties and cities, if need be. If no new revenues are coming in, what are Cumberland County residents prepared to do without? When the word comes down from Raleigh that so many millions are required, what will be cut, again? Education? Social services? Public health?

There is one other avenue that should be explored before we give vent to the ritual sigh, wring our hands and watch as our capabilities and possibilities are stripped away. We should get our money's worth out of our legislative delegation.

What this and many other counties need from the legislature is not just another one-time gimmick, but alternatives: a new, reliable revenue stream and a hard look at state mandates on local governments whose resources are already strained.

In the end, it's the commissioners who will make the call and answer for it. But we should not be having to make these repeated sacrifices in the budgets of essential services. Let's see the delegation get more dirt under its nails this year.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0072-42647464