Federal stimulous check will be needed to pay rising local taxes

Editor:

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I read with amusement the recent editorial lambasting the Columbia County residents upset over their property tax appraisals. We should be happy with a 5 to 8 percent increase each year.

I don't disagree too much with that, but mine was a whopping 34 percent increase in one year. On further investigation I found out that our county had increased property assessments to the point that Georgia law requires hearings if the County Commission doesn't roll back the millage rate. This is required when overall appraisals meet or exceed 15 percent in one year, and the County Commission doesn't roll back the millage rate to keep taxes from increasing.

Well, our commissioners have already announced no intention to roll back the millage rate. The required hearings are to be held in July. They are calling them the "millage rate rollback hearings."

Wow; that sounds really good. Wrong. Citizens would be better served if they called them the "we have no intention of rolling back the millage rate hearings."

Very little has been said by our commissioners about this in public. It just proves that Republicans spend just as bad as Democrats when they have total control.

At least I know what to do with that federal rebate check now.

Larry Sheppard

Martinez