I received word late Friday night that the State Auditor’s office may not certify Neosho’s current property tax ceiling as originally thought. It seems to relate back to confusion on whether our “authorization” is still valid…whatever that means. Our city attorney and their legal staff will continue to have dialogue.
What does that mean in simple terms? It means that one of the two options available to the council for increasing revenues could very likely be removed from the table. That leaves the August ballot as the only significant option remaining to lessen the impact of cuts needed to balance the 2011 budget.
I’m sure the press will pick up on the story and more information will flow in from Jefferson City. But until then, things just got more complicated and the importance of the August ballot just went up.
It seems to me that all this confusion about what the city can and can't do and how incapable our city attorney is just proves we don't need to give the city any more money to be confused with and waste. Until we get a capable city attorney and get rid of those (there's at least) in city hall who still are "dreaming," there's just not going to be any support...we want to support and revive our town...not someone else's idea of what is our town...
ReplyDeleteI realize my postings don't cut the mustard so I'm sure this one won't either...maybe I need to get my own blog so I can debate city hall now and then
For the record, the city got an independent opinion from an outside attorney. That opinion said the city can't "repeal" the tax as was done in 1997. Whether we agree or disagree on that opinion, we based our decision on the opinion of someone with 30 years of municipal law experience who has no gain or loss by Neosho imposing the $0.4225.
ReplyDeleteIf the ultimate decision of the state is that the $0.4225 isn't available, that's fine. We will deal with the hand we are given and do our best.
But it wasn't the city attorney who gave the independent decision...it was someone with no ties to Neosho.
I also agree that we want to support and revive our town. My family came here almost 50 years ago to start a new life and better themselves. I, like my father and grandfather before me, choose to live here just like you.