Over 950 people have been manipulated today by Ford County.

[Mike B.]

But won't the city have enough revenue from the sales tax collected to fund the projects?

[TexKan]

The city never has enough money!!!

[Bubba]

Originally Posted by Mike B.

But won't the city have enough revenue from the sales tax collected to fund the projects?

In a word, NO. Maybe the initial funding to get it completed, but not the ongoing funding to keep them in operation.

[Mike B.]

Bubba,

You and I have been down this road before.

I know the Judge said build the sec, but he never said how big it had to be or how much money was supposed to be spent. Right?

My problem is not so much a sec or the tax itself. I have a real problem however, with our local politician being able to put their hands on 4 million dollars of tax payers money a year and not be accountable with how it is spent. WND has been mis-managed! And has not brought the results that it promised!

Part of the reason Dodge has such high property tax is just that reason. In 1997 we had a 1/4% sales tax designated for street improvement and repair. When WND came along that sales tax was incorporated into WND. Now we have streets that are falling apart.

Our City manager has admitted that the reason property tax has risen last year and looking to increase again this year is because of street conditions that need attention.

One commisssioner has suggested we adopt yet another sales tax (1/4%) to help relieve property tax in this area. I'm not sure that I agree with him!

We are being taxed to death with no end in sight! At some point the people have to stand up and say Enough is Enough!

[Bubba]

I can tell you with complete certainty that a sales tax is MUCH better than raising property taxes. That way everybody that spends money in Dodge City, even visitors and renters, help pay for it. The other way it is just property owners that pay. Like I said before, there is a very easy way for the county residents that don't want to pay their portion of the sales tax to stop paying it without going through the election process, STOP SPENDING YOUR MONEY IN FORD COUNTY! It's that simple, no need to win an election, no need to bitch about the tax to everybody. YOU have the control to stop paying the tax, do your shopping elsewhere.

[TexKan]

All this is so overwheling........... but I do have to say I truely believe you should keep it at home when it comes to spending your local money. If you are going to show your discontent by taking you local dollar to Gray county or elsewhere - you might as well move there cause you are only hurting yourself when you don't support where you live.

I don't think you should buy everything there bur to drive to GC to buy groceries just to prove a point is just wrong. You are paying more in the long run not only in gas but it's just the wrong thing to do - that's my small town perspective.

I live 40 miles from Houston where you can buy anything or anyone you want. I spend my money in Galveston county and Ford county. It's who I am and where I live.

As for the taxes - trust me ya'lls taxes are nuthin compared to what some pay. If you can't spend your money to make your community better or support the ideals you as voters have voted to support then why are you there? Dodge ain't near as bad as some places you could be. Lots of places have far worse scandels and scoundrels.

This is not posted to start a debate - it's just posted to bring a little light on the topic as a whole. We all live where we choose and how we choose but I do think it's essential to be supportive (by shopping when you can in your own city) whether you agree or not.

[Bubba]

I never said it was the "right thing to do!" I just pointed out that it was the easy way to get the people bitchin' to stop bitchin'! They are in control of their money, if they don't like the sales tax, they are in control of how much money they spend and where they spend it.

Another thing, many are complaining about the cost of the SEC being near $30 million....look what $20 million bought the people of Wichita (fireworks not included.)

[Army_of_One]

Originally Posted by TexKan

Dodge ain't near as bad as some places you could be. Lots of places have far worse scandels and scoundrels

I guess that should be our city motto. "Dodge ain't near as bad as some places you could be"....LOL Why can't it be better or the best? If they had a 1/4 cent tax to fix the roads then that money should be used for that. Why are these people NOT being held accountable? I guess most people in Dodge don't care.

[TexKan]

If you feel you are the best - someone is sneakin up on ya while you are revelling in your glory. That's what improvement is all about. You can also be the best within your limits. That's not a bad thing. Discontent breeds all kinds of issues. I just think it's important to be proud of where you are and to never stop supporting the effort to be the best. I wasn't saying settle - you know me better than that.

We all do enough settleing in our lives without feeling like there's no place that we can be proud of. Work on the issue of course, but you must be supportive of the process in order to find a solution..

[Army_of_One]

Originally Posted by TexKan

Work on the issue of course, but you must be supportive of the process in order to find a solution..

You have to have community leadership that puts the city and it's tax paying citizens (not the illegals) in the front of the line as their best interest....