Letter To The Editor: Report To The People: Caution About Placing PTELL On Ballot Given
Report to the People #131 by Phil Chapman, County Board District Three
The purpose of this report entitled; ‘It’s All About PTELL’ is to provide information and to aid in government transparency.
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PTELL Proponents’ ‘Boiler Plate Mantra’
Proponents of PTELL state; “It’s not so much about PTELL as it is giving taxpayers a chance to vote on it.” Let’s look closely at this assertion.
It’s not so much about PTELL? REALLY?
It’s all about PTELL otherwise why do some people want it on the ballot?
- History shows If PTELL passes special taxing districts’ taxing rates will immediately rise.
- It’s all about PTELL which doesn’t “cap” your property taxes.
- PTELL doesn’t stop affected areas ’non special taxing districts’ taxes from rising.
- PTELL only limits the growth of property taxes under certain circumstances based upon an equation of property appreciation and inflation.
- It’s all about PTELL which will not stop ‘backdoor referendums.’
It‘s about giving taxpayers an opportunity to vote on it? REALLY?
- It’s about giving a chance for taxpayers to vote on it? REALLY? One wonders if this statement is like a cleverly disguised NFL misdirection play. Why? I observe most of those asking me to help place it on the ballot aren’t impacted by PTELL because they live in home ruled areas. Please consider an estimated 35,000 voters from home ruled districts not impacted by PTELL could vote. Should they decide unincorporated areas taxes? The Founding Fathers started the American revolution with the cry; ’no taxation without representation’. If 35,000 people from un-impacted areas vote it’s more like, ‘representation without taxation’. PTELL will force raises in impacted areas’ special taxes apparently without any guarantee of lowering their future general taxes.
- Observation: The grass-root leaders and fiscal conservatives in my district that helped place ‘the Jail Bond Issue’ and the ‘1 % Sales Tax’ Referendums on previous ballots to reign - in taxes haven’t supported PTELL or asked me to. They haven’t started a petition drive to put it on the ballot. Despite public calls for people to contact me, few people from District Three contacted me expressing support for PTELL or for placing it on the ballot.
We should take care in placing any referendum on the ballot. We need to make sure PTELL would deliver as advertised. So far no hard proof has been provided.
Respectfully,
Phil Chapman
County Board District Three
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