Editor, The Smithfield Times:

Concerning the editorial “Tax values bring collective ouch” in the May 31 edition, the surge of assessed property values is not understandable when the country is at the highest inflation level and people are struggling to feed their families. 

Making things even harder for the working family is not a good idea. With interest rates increasing and home values potentially dropping, it will be an even more onerous burden on the citizens in this county. Why does the budget hit the taxpayers every year more than the past year’s budget? Why can’t the county work with the allocations from the prior year?

Stop paying more to the county employees who sit at a desk when we have computers that can do the work. Why do we waste printing and mailing out tax bills to the residents when all residents know when the taxes are due. We should have a unique code to enter into the computer to receive our tax bill. If we can go on the computer to pay the bill, then why are we wasting money sending residents of the county a tax bill? 

Bring the county spending to a halt on things we don’t need. I have noticed over the years that residents don’t get anything for their money. So, concerning taxes going up or down, we, the citizens, should have a breakdown of every penny the county spends. We are the ones who pay the salary of the county commissioner of the revenue. They work for us, not us for them.

 

Dorene Huff

Hampton