Elk County... Are your property taxes about to go up... again?

[Patriot]

Are you taxed enough already?

It's budget time taxpayers, and there are rumblings about mill levy increases in the both Elk Valley and West Elk School districts.

But to add insult to injury, the Elk County Board of Commissioners is faced with major indebtedness (somewhere north of $1,000,000 and growing), some departmental increase requests, increasing calls for long overdue employee pay increases, AND a potentially major increase in employee benefit (health insurance) costs that could result in a mill levy increase across the board.  In a county that already boasts one of the highest, if not THE highest rates in the entire state.

We surely didn't get here overnight.  It took those we elected to manage our schools and county several years to do that.  But here we are.  And it's looking like the taxpayers may yet again be called on to fund the status quo.

Look for the county to possibly borrow another $30,000 to $60,00 today.

What?  You say feed costs (human and otherwise) are going up?  Not to worry.  We're getting a chunk of money from the wind farm in December of the year it's fully operational.  Maybe this year, maybe next.

In the meantime, get your checkbooks out.  Or, and I know this is radical (racist, terroristic, insane), call or write your elected officials and tell them, "No new taxes!"

[Diane Amberg]

Don't you have tax referendums for your school taxes? I guess not.

[Patriot]

Don't you have tax referendums for your school taxes? I guess not.

Not that I know of.  Out here, in the wild west, I've been told we have a giant, community sized tube of K-Y Jelly.  They say it helps us 'get Konnected.'   

[mtcookson]

Not that I know of.  Out here, in the wild west, I've been told we have a giant, community sized tube of K-Y Jelly.  They say it helps us 'get Konnected.'   

Are you positive its K-Y? I thought it was glue and sand...

[srkruzich]

ever heard of recall elections!
how long they been in this round? and they can't get control of their spending!  Time to recall and put some new folks in.

gee why not cut the spending! Start at the top!   Salaries of the commissioners.  work their way down, and then GASP  bid out all services and products aquired to the LOWEST bidder even if they have to go outside ofthe county!

[Patriot]

The county commission are surely spendthrifts, but it's not just the county commission. West Elk Unified school dist just voted to raise their mill levy 1.6 mills this week... $9.5 million a year just isn't enough to educate 250 + kids, I guess.  Of course, didn't they just renegotiate the super's contract midterm so they could give him a raise?  And why are they going from a capital outlay budget this year of $$36,148 to $919,421 for next year? 

I been told the Elk Valley school board bought new leather chairs for their monthly meetings and provides numerous employees with cell phones so no wonder they voted for a mill levy increase of 5.46 mills.  Their capital out lay budget is going from $0 to $207387.

All for the kids, right? 

Are these boards planning on some wind farm proceeds perhaps? 

Oh... remember our $300,000 new historical courthouse roof......I hear it still leaks..... in the same place it did before.

Voters, taxpayers...  here we go!

[kshillbillys]

What the hell do you mean the brand new roof on the courthouse STILL leaks and in the SAME damn spot? They borrowed an ass load of money from the Bank of Longton to "FIX" the damn roof! And it still ain't done after all the damn money that's been spent on it! I'm a taxpayer and I feel like I've just been raped. ----MR. KSH

[srkruzich]

What the hell do you mean the brand new roof on the courthouse STILL leaks and in the SAME damn spot? They borrowed an ass load of money from the Bank of Longton to "FIX" the damn roof! And it still ain't done after all the damn money that's been spent on it! I'm a taxpayer and I feel like I've just been raped. ----MR. KSH

They didn't even kiss ya first now did they

[srkruzich]

I been told the Elk Valley school board bought new leather chairs for their monthly meetings and provides numerous employees with cell phones so no wonder they voted for a mill levy increase of 5.46 mills.  Their capital out lay budget is going from $0 to $207387.

Uhmm why do they need leather chairs?  My God they act like its their freaking money!   I can throw together a couple benches out here for them to sit their fat asses on!  cost..... 25 bucks for the whole lot of them

[readyaimduck]

the cell phones I could understand.  Teachers need to be called in, or alerted to situations.
As long as they are not racking up the minutes for a "Hi, honey...how is your day?"  kind of call  (personal)
I hope the plan for the phones are not charged by the minute!

As far as the leather chairs???

I would be, andam happy with a $20 computer chair I got at a garage sale!

That last one is rediculous!

ready....and back to sitting in my cloth-no-arm-chair!