The whole lot of them should be glad they are not up for re-election this year and the two that are up should be worried. Anybody who so thoroughly misunderstands taxes and how they affect people as the Star-News story suggests should not be in charge of spending taxpayers’ money.
County commissioners say they favor the sales tax over a property tax increase because it’s more equitable, since it spreads the burden to everyone who buys something in New Hanover County.
Property taxes, on the other hand, only affect property owners, many who are already struggling to pay for their homes and businesses, commissioners say.
Everybody pays property taxes, including renters and hotel guests. The tax gets embedded in the price.
The real reason county commissioners want the sales tax hike is so they can have more money to spend on whatever they want. The greater variety of taxes at a government’s disposal, the higher the total tax bill.
If county commissioners really want to help families and business owners in the county, they will do what every family and business has already done — cut back and focus on priorities. They could start with the 20 county employees with salaries over $100,000 a year. Then they can look at the money pit of a trash-to-energy incinerator. And the list can go on.
