Yow keeps fighting the good fight for, of all things, a tax increase
This week's column.
Who would’ve thunk it?
County Commissioner Billy Yow, a conservative Republican who loves huntin’, hates big government and has never met a corporate incentive he liked, is pushing for a tax increase.
Having failed to convince the local legislative delegation to pursue an 1-cent sales tax increase specifically for Guilford County, Yow will lobby leaders in other counties to join his cause — as a statewide issue. He believes those other counties will want the same thing he envisions for Guilford: the chance to place the 1-cent increase on the ballot.
He plans a letter-writing campaign in the late summer or early fall. “I think that, out of 100 counties, we’ll pick up support on this,” he said last week.
Yow also favored a quarter-cent sales tax increase that Guilford voters soundly defeated in the May 6 primary. But he believes that increase failed so miserably because voters didn’t understand it and because no one stepped forward to promote and explain it. So he’s stepping forward now.
Yow says the county desperately needs sales tax to revenue to pay for the bonds voters approved in May for school construction, a new jail and expansions to GTCC. “We’re going to have to do something for alternative funding,” he said.
He still thinks such a tax would be more of a benefit than a burden to county residents. He has said so from Day One, and he’s not budging. “This isn’t over by a long shot,” he said.
Maybe so. But fierce opponents of the sales tax increase, including Rep. Pricey Harrison of Greensboro, see eye-to-eye with Yow on only two of those words: “long shot.”
Harrison and other local lawmakers closed the book on the tax increase almost before Yow could open it. “I do not approve, so I’ll save you the time,” Harrison said during a May meeting of the Guilford legislative delegation. “I’m just fundamentally opposed to these regressive taxes.”
She’s right. Sales taxes are regressive, meaning they charge the poor at the same rate they charge the rich, and therefore consume a larger share of poor people’s incomes.
But in the face of a tight economy, shrinking revenues and pressing needs for education, among others, the sales tax option still makes sense. As wrong as Yow may be on some issues, this isn’t one of them.
This tax increase not only would help pay for the projects voters approved, it would provide relief to property owners, who pay the lion’s share of county taxes.
In the Fiscal Year 2007-08, county residents paid nearly $26.6 million in taxes on registered motor vehicles. But those who own real estate paid $281.5 million, presumably in addition to auto taxes.
The sales tax also would exclude food and medication. As much as 40 percent of that revenue would come from visitors who live elsewhere but may shop or work in Guilford County.
And all those pennies would add up. An extra 1 cent on the sales tax rate in Guilford County could generate as much as $60 million a year.
In addition, Yow would like to earmark the revenue to pay for school construction and help keep rising property taxes under control. He also proposes cutting 8 cents off the property tax rate as a condition for passing the sales tax increase.
Be all that as it may, Yow is swimming with the sharks on this one. And he’s pretty much out there by himself. Even other elected officials who favor the tax and say it’s critical to the county budget, aren’t eager to step forward and speak for it, especially in a bad economy, and during an election year.
For instance, commissioners Chairman Kirk Perkins, a Democrat, said last week he supported the sales tax increase but chose not to endorse it. Perkins explained that he voted against the increase after supporting it because “it was dead on arrival.”
Yow wants to bring it back to life.
“I’m not a pro-tax person,” he said. “You know that. But I’m also looking at who’s paying the bill. Our seniors in the county on fixed incomes really can’t stand much more.”
As for why a man who just won re-election for a third term would choose to jump into this fray, “I’ve had some of my Republican friends to say it’s not the smart thing to do,” Yow said. “But if there’s a backlash, so be it. It’s the right thing to do.”
Harrison was equally amazed. “I found myself in a very odd position of opposing a tax that a Republican was for,” she said.
So far, at least, Yow said, his constituents are supportive, especially once they hear his case for the tax. “I’m getting overwhelming response from the citizens,” he said.
“I have not yet had one person to ask me if I’ve lost my mind.”
Comments (2)
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Is there anything that can make our out of touch politicians, and editorial writers get it? Why is it that only we lowly, tax gouged citizens have to cut back when times get tough? Many of us likely need things done, repairs made to our property, new clothes, and other things?
When will the bleeping politicians learn that they cannot continue to spend our money as if nothing has changed? When do these fools REDUCE SPENDING? Is there some law that says even during periods of miniscule growth, or recessions they are required to spend as if nothing has changed. Despite decreasing revenues due to the bad economy these fools refuse to simply act rational. This is another reason we have to go electing every politician in the city and county as at large, countywide. Then their "protection" will disappear and they'll have to answer to all of us!
Posted on June 22, 2008 12:29 PM
ditto the commenter above.
Yow is correct in saying the budget is facing a crash but no tax increase is going to fix it because as soon as county commissioners raise taxes they think up more ways to pocket the increase.
Let the county go bankrupt and then you'll see a change in the way county business is done.
It's call tough love and the sooner we wean our political calves the sooner we can start replenishing our milk buckets.
Posted on June 22, 2008 2:49 PM