County Can Get by Without New Tax

St. Joseph County Councilman Mark Root denounces new taxes showing they would be harmful and unnecessary.

County Councilman Mark Root wrote this in yesterday's South Bend Tribune:

On Nov. 25, South Bend Mayor Stephen Luecke proposed enacting two new local option income taxes for St. Joseph County which would take effect Jan. 1, 2009. With current economic conditions, now is the worst possible time to adopt new taxes.

The present option tax rate in St. Joe County is 0.8 percent. The new proposal would add 1.25 percent (1 percent in local option income tax and 0.25 percent from a public safety tax), causing a 150 percent local tax increase for St. Joseph County taxpayers.

Before the county raises income taxes, all available options should be considered. I believe there are three options that would make adopting a new income tax unnecessary.

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To read Voice of the People articles by local citizens who are upset with tax hike proposals, click here.