IRETON’S PROPOSED TAX IS ONLY $18.9 MILLION PER YEAR (A CORRECTION … AND MORE)!

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Recent posts misstated the amount as 19 million dollars. The statement issued by his executive assistant, John Pick (available here: http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2013/02/iretons-new-19-million-tax-part-2.html), indicates that the “Storm Water Utility” would extract a total of $76.6 Million from Salisbury property owners during a 4 year period – you do the math. Even that slightly lower amount is about equal to the sum that the City has extracted in recent years with its general tax on real estate. So, the new tax is similar in amount extracted to doubling the general tax rate, which itself may have to be increased due to the shrinking value of the “tax base”. By the way, did Ireton mention any of that during his recent dog and pony show at Holloway Hall?

Now, property owners may wonder whether the new “stormwater utility” tax can be imposed unless the City’s tax rate cap, which is stated in the City Charter, is raised. Apparently, it can be because it is designed as a “fee” for a new “enterprise fund” for stormwater management. It’s like a pay to play charge to have stormwater handled by the City’s storm drain system, similar to water and sewer charges. And some homeowners seem to think that they will be exempt because of the homeowner provisions of the tax code – but that’s not so.

Speaking of sewer and water charges, they will soon go up hugely in order to fund the repair of the wastewater treatment plant and other infrastructure of those systems. His proposed capital improvement plan calls for $21 Million funded by sewer and water charges (much more than the so-called surplus that he crows about). Property owners may soon find that the actual cost of ownership of city property (taxes plus “fees”) has doubled or tripled since Ireton was elected 4 years ago.

Are your surprised that he didn’t level with the voters about these matters in his recent “state of the city” speech, in which he proclaimed that the City is in good shape because of his “accomplishments? Do you want more of this duplicity.