I just received notice in the mail about the proposed budget for Queen Anne’s County and the corresponding hearings coming up soon so people can speak on them (May 21, 22, and 23).
In light of those hearings, I want to revisit the 6 principles for budget reform I laid out during the budget hearings last year.
- Don’t Raise Taxes
Based off of my reading of the letter sent out by the county, the Commissioners are sticking with this point for the coming year, so they certainly deserve commendation for that. However, depending on the final outcome of the special session, it is certainly possible that they may face a strong temptation to waver on their position. It’s vital that they do not, the county appears to be seeing the beginnings of a recovery and tax hikes will only set that back.
- Cut Spending by Cutting Programs
- There are no Sacred Cows
- Seek Alternate Sources of Revenue
- Cap Future Spending Growth
- Mandate Sunsets on all Tax Increases
As noted above, it doesn’t look like the Commissioners will raise tax rates this year. That’s good, but it’s not good enough. Given the strong outcry against last year’s tax increases by the people of the county, the commissioners ought to amend the bill passing them to ensure that the rates will revert to the prior levels, adjusted for constant yield (assumed from what the revenue would have been had rates never been increased).
Looking beyond that, they ought to amend the county code to make it a requirement that any future tax increase must come with language such that after two years rates will revert to the current levels, adjusted as just described for constant yield.
If implemented, these 6 simple principles could transform Queen Anne’s County government, allowing us to finally get a handle on runaway spending while ensuring we never face the financial ruin our county found itself on the edge of last year and haven’t moved far enough away from yet.
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