TO THE EDITOR

I have been following the Journal's reporting on BOC and BOE tax rate setting. Preliminary data were published in the Aug. 28th edition. It appears that our property tax bills will be going up - again. This prompted me to contact the governor's office for further data. Then, I did some number crunching of my own.

The numbers tell a story.

According to US Census Bureau estimates, county population has decreased from 8,355 in 2003 to an estimated 8,098 this year, a decrease of 257 (3.1 percent). If the current tax projections published Aug. 28th hold, total county property taxes levied will increase from $4,356,130 to $8,084,135 over that same period, an increase of $3,728,005 (85.6 percent). The average Lincoln County family of four - father, mother, and two children living in a home they own - which paid taxes of $2,084 in 2003, will face a tax bill of $3,992 this year. How many of you are making 85.6 percent more money than you earned in 2003?

In just the last year, with an estimated population decrease of 49 (0.6 percent), tax levies will increase $1,024,604 (14.5 percent) - that's right, more than one million dollars - and the tax bill for our family of four will be $524 more than last year. How many of you got a 14.5 percent raise this year?

Public hearings will be held on September 15th by the Development Authority, on September 16th by the Board of Education, and on September 18th by the Board of Commissioners. Let's do our homework and attend one or more of these meetings, ready to ask some questions.

"Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful."

- 1 Corinthians 4:2, King James Bible

ANDY WARNER