The debate over the land tranfer tax that appears on Orange County’s May 6 ballot has generated a fascinating comment from Orange County Commissioner Mike Nelson. In this News & Observer story, Nelson advertently reveals the county’s spending problem. In short, there are no real priorities in Orange and there seems to be little the commissioners don’t think government should be involved in. And to take care of it all, commissioners either hike taxes and fees, or in this case, try to impose a new tax. To be sure, schools are a legitimate priority of local government, but remember, tax hikes fund the lowest priority, not the highest. Here’s Nelson’s comment (emphasis is mine):

The county commissioners decided to dedicate revenue from the tax to schools and parks.

They’re also sending a “pay now or pay later” message, saying a land transfer tax will offset future property tax rate increases.

“Currently most of our money for schools, parks, conservation, recreation and what not comes from the property tax you all pay annually,” Commissioner Mike Nelson wrote in e-mail this week. “By having another source of revenue, we will be able to remove some of the burden from our property tax rate.”

This is why Orange County is such an expensive place to live in relation to other counties.

Resources on the Transfer Tax Issue:

You’ll find the county’s Web site here.

You’ll find the pro-tax Web site of Orange Citizens for Schools and Parks here.

You’ll find the anti-tax Web site of Citizens for a Better Orange County here.