Over my objections, the Board of Commissioners voted to keep the windall from the new revenue the county will generate from increased values due to property reassessments. In addition, the small surplus generated due to higher sales tax collections was spent faster than you could sneeze. Thankfully, a small amount was dedicated to the county's reserves for protection in case of a recession. But this is not a fiscally prudent government. It is being managed like players hanging out at a Las Vegas casino. They keep betting on DeKalb homeowners and increasing property values to fund their spending habit and the taxpayers have to keep financing the losing hand.
This year's $581 million budget is the largest in DeKalb's history. It is up 38 percent since the year 2000, just prior to CEO Vernon Jones taking ofice. Our county population has not increased anywhere near that. In addition, there has been no effort made to reduce spending, outsource programs, or eliminate anything offered by county government. Instead, it grows larger by the month, becoming a bureaucracy reminiscent of the city of Atlanta and Fulton County...
Back in 1998 when voters approved a 1 percent sales tax to offset property taxes known as the HOST, county officials promised 100% of the proceeds would go to reduce property taxes. But today the CEO and commission have gotten their hands on that too, now giving only 56 percent to the taxpayers because of the growing spending addiction.
The only way to put the brakes on this train wreck is a pending referendum that voters will be able to adopt in November. DeKalb voters will be asked whether they want to freeze the county portion of their property taxes for five years. That will be done by freezing the assessed value on their homes so the county won't be able to pull off these sneaky, back-door tax increases.
Property tax bills are due in October. That should be a painful reminder through the November election that something has to be done to put a restraint on DeKalb's elected officials who know no self-control when it comes to spending your money. We must enact this countywide referendum to freeze county taxes or you and I will just keep funding the spenders at the poker table.
