Sun Sentinel, File
Young readers at the Broward County West Regional Library in Plantation.
Do you enjoy taking your kids or grandkids to the public library?
Maybe you enjoy the variety of programs offered to adults as well. What about our cities that offer concerts and holiday-related events, usually for free? And let’s not forget park maintenance. If parks aren’t maintained, they won’t be open.
Do you really think public safety is not going to take a hit? Get ready to kiss these services goodbye if this property tax proposal passes.
Common sense doesn’t seem to prevail at the polls anymore. Voters in Florida will see dollar signs that are nonexistent in the long run. If Gov. Ron DeSantis and our elected officials really want to help Floridians, they would address the biggest expense of home ownership: property insurance.
That would give us immediate relief without extreme cuts to services we enjoy and depend on. That is the elephant in the room.
— Marcia Holloway, Boynton Beach
Don’t be bamboozled
Since there are no altruistic measures coming from Tallahassee (only schemes to take more advantage of taxpaying citizens), it may be wise to go with the devil we know rather than the devil we don’t know.
If Tallahassee really wanted to help homesteaded property owners, they would work to reduce costs for insurance, electricity, gas and food. Interestingly, they aren’t doing anything to reduce those.
It’s possible that alleged property tax reductions will only result in increased fees and assessments, with minimal if any savings. Some suggest that this bill of goods (brought to you by the same spin masters who wanted to develop our public parks) is a ploy to increase voter turnout in November.
This is plausible. What better way to get people to the ballot box than to “promise” a tax cut?
For those who believe local government is overspending, get intimately involved in the budget process. Insist that city and county government reduce bloat, create a reserve fund and become more fiscally responsible with our dollars.
Voters beware: Don’t be bamboozled by Tallahassee.
— Brenda Lee Chalifour, Dania Beach
Spin control in Tallahassee
It will be interesting to see how DeSantis’ administration spins the ballot summary on the property tax question.
Chapter 101 of Florida Statutes limits a ballot summary to 75 words. And because this is not a citizen initiative, a financial impact statement is not required to be included on the ballot.
Given historically low voter turnout in midterm (non-presidential) elections, I expect there will be enough uninformed homesteaded owners who vote to pass this feeble attempt at property tax reform.
All taxing authority is governed by state laws. Chapter 200 governs the determination of millage (tax rates) on ad valorem assessments. If there was any intelligence in Tallahassee, this is where local property tax reform should be made.
— Rich Carlson, Deerfield Beach
Stop the spin, Sheriff
Special to the Sun Sentinel
Part of Sheriff Tony’s latest mailing to Deerfield Beach residents.
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony, please stop mailing marketing postcards to me and other Deerfield Beach residents at the expense of taxpayers.
The people of our city elected a city commission to represent our best interests.
Your face on every postcard is not changing anything.
It is annoying and wasteful, and it will make us more inclined to vote against you in the next election.
— Brian Mintz, Deerfield Beach
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