To the editor: Do you really want an additional $44 million in local Tax Debt? We don’t!
Government is out of control at the national level and it sure seems like it here in Habersham County as well. They all are spending like drunken sailors (no offense meant to our Navy brethren) with seemingly no regard for balancing the budget. Don’t have enough cash? Well, just raise taxes. It’s simple – just dump the financial burden on the people. What happened to fiscal conservancy and small town values?
Do you know that the top 10 employees of Habersham County are paid a total of over $1 million per year? Our county manager alone is paid $165,000 per year (Yes, it does sound excessive to me). The top 100 Habersham County employees are paid a total of over $5,725,000 per year. How many of you make $57,000 per year? According to the US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis the per capita personal income (PCPI) for Habersham County was $36,691 for 2020.
This PCPI ranked 114th in the state and was 70.9 percent of the state average, $51,780, and 61.7 percent of the national average ($59,510). In 2010, the PCPI of Habersham was $27,007 and ranked 87th in the state.
One last data point on compensation: U.S. Senators and House members are only paid $174,000 per year and our Georgia Governor is paid $175,000 per year.
I know I don’t have to tell you about inflation and that the staggering increase applies to just about everything: Food, fuel, utilities, medical bills and health care, local/state/federal taxes, education, clothing, housing, and on, and on. People are hurting and some of us are stretched to the limit. It even costs a lot more to die. A local funeral home said basic funeral service costs are up hundreds of dollars (thousands at the higher end).
Need more taxes? We will vote no on the T-SPLOST Referendum in November! Not only no … heck no!
Pete Davitto
Clarkesville