I was researching details on the tax levies on Tuesday's ballot and grabbed the millage and property tax costs from the Hamilton County Auditor's web site when I saw this wisdom from Auditor Dusty Rhodes. It's right at the top of his home page next to his photo:
"It has become a fairly common practice on the part of those seeking to pass tax levies to make a point of saying that passage of the levy in question 'will not raise your taxes.' It may indeed be true that the amount of tax you would pay in future years would be no more than in prior years. However, it is also very true that if the levy were to fail, you would be paying less in those same future years than you had previously. —-I urge you to research each levy on November's ballot so you better understand how your tax money is used. If the levy passes you may indeed pay no more, but if it fails you will certainly pay less than you would if it passed, because all the tax dollars sought by the taxing entity associated with that levy will stay with you."
Not that the county auditor is telling you to vote down all of those crazy tax levies and school levies. He just wants to remind you that "No" is an option in the ballot booth. That's very helpful, and I appreciate the reminder.
