Every now and then, there’s a surprising decision from the liberals who dominate Orange County government. As the commissioners look to approve the new fiscal year’s budget, the word is the property tax rate will remain at 85.8 cents per $100 valuation. Still, the liberals can’t help themselves, firing off this warning to residents.
“We have to keep in mind that this might be the last year that we’re going to go without raising taxes,” said Commissioner Penny Rich. “I’m not the kind of person who loves to raise taxes, but there’s a certain level of services that we expect in Orange County, and we can’t go year after year, especially with the school systems, and not raise taxes.”
Commissioner Rich is correct that tax revenue must be collected to pay for services. The issue is priorities. The appropriate role of local government is to provide core services such as police and fire and to encourage private community groups, churches, and individuals to support those in need. Orange County commissioners wrongly believe government is the solution to virtually all challenges. For example:
Commissioners also allocated $49,000 in additional funding for a host of nonprofit organizations, and set aside a quarter of a million for something they dubbed the Social Justice Fund, a reserve account to help lessen the sting of state cuts to social programs.
