Do we really need to increase property taxes for a few more police officers? We can’t cut some excess spending elsewhere to make room for extra law enforcement.
By Samuel R. Staley, Ph.D.
Local Tallahassee activists have proposed $9.5 million in budget cuts and savings after city commissioners agreed to consider a 23% increase in property taxes justified to fund additional police officers. Last week, commissioners reduced the increase to 13%, but many, including the editors of the Tallahassee Democrat, are not convinced that even this modest increase is necessary. The details of the 14-point plan along with full coverage of the proposal can be found at Tallahassee Reports, a newspaper that serves as a local government watchdog.
Citizens for Responsible Spending, the architect of the spending and savings plan, is an umbrella group formerly known as the Budget Hawks. The new group attempts to do what city staff have been reluctant to: find modest savings in other parts of the city budget to stave off a property tax increase. Florida TaxWatch CEO Dominic…
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