By Mayor John M. Licastro
September, 2008. Taxes, taxes, taxes. They never go away and can be the focal point of a lot of conversations and rhetoric, especially during a Presidential election. One political party says they will raise taxes, the other says they will lower them. Who to believe and what level of credibility does the party or candidate have?
The Village has had tax issues on the ballot in the last couple of years. One was a property tax that failed; the other an income tax increase that failed as well. The property tax was backed by most of Council, the income tax was not. In fact, there has not been a new tax passed by the Village since 1995.
The Village has a 3-mil property tax levy that expires this year. It is one of only two general operating levies. These levies pay for just about everything, including Police, Service, benefits for our employees, gasoline for Village vehicles, electricity, natural gas to heat Village buildings, etc. Without this revenue, our budget would collapse. You will be asked to consider passing this levy more than once in the next few weeks. Who can you believe and does the Village really need the money?
Council and the Administration are united in their support to pass this levy as a replacement and increase, from 3-mils to 4.5-mils. We are fortunate to have an Audit Committee that was formed to offer, among other things, guidance and opinions on this proposed tax levy. The individuals on this Committee are residents Tom McDonald, owner of Thomas McDonald Partners Financial Advisors, Beth Mooney, Vice-Chairperson of Key Corp and Lee Blazey, Professor of Accounting at Case Western Reserve University. Frank Ilcin, while not a resident, is an expert in public finances. The Committee commended Council and the Administration for its good management in keeping expenses flat for the past five years while maintaining Village services. They stated the need for the increase in this levy. Indeed, they called the passage of Issue 13 critical for Bratenahl’s future.
There is an article elsewhere in this issue of The Lamplighter that gives the details of Issue 13. Please read it. Don’t let the campaign rhetoric have you turn a deaf ear or blind eye. Issue 13 has unilateral support from your elected officials in the Village and the talented group of citizens that form the Audit Committee.
The decision is, as always, yours.
We hope to see you at our meetings. I close with the refrain from Bratenahl’s school song:
She is the best, the very best, all hail to Bratenahl!
