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By Thomas Warren III, Editor-in-Chief
Last year, voters defeated Proposition A and the Amarillo City Council’s push to pass a massive 39 percent tax increase. Unfortunately, while taxpayers won that round, the perils of tax-and-spend mania at City Hall have returned.
On November 2, voters in Amarillo will decide a ballot proposal to ratify a 24 percent property tax increase. This time, there is no pretending the numbers say a smaller number by City officials, or even claims about low interest rates and the urgency of this item. Instead, this is just a straight forward tax increase, as Mayor Ginger Nelson and the rest her Amarillo Matters-backed City Council looks to take even more cash out of the wallets of hard-working Amarillo taxpayers.
This should not be a surprise to taxpayers to have paid attention over the past few years, as Nelson and the City Council have been consistently trying to pass one tax increase after another. And, for the first time in our city’s history, this tax increase is so massive that voters will have the chance to decide it. Remember, unlike last year’s election, this isn’t a question about interest rates and debt. This election is about accepting a straight forward tax increase that will never disappear once any debts have been paid off.
Simply put, this is a question of do you want to spend more money every year or would you prefer for your government to live within its means.
I believe Amarillo is in desperate need of property tax relief, but that will never come if we sign up for one tax increase after another. In order to put our city in a position where we might not tax every citizen into oblivion, please vote against Proposition A and Ginger Nelson’s 24 percent tax increase. If not for you, then vote against Proposition A to save your children and grandchildren some money. Because, remember, once this tax increase is passed, there is little chance that it will ever go away.
The future of Amarillo is depending on your vote. Make the smart choice and vote against Proposition A on November 2.