In reference to a statement made by school board member, Ted Alford, who on July 20th commented on a tax break for seniors stating that “he was in that age group” but he “felt that he should pay his fair share like everyone else and let the millage rate stay the same”.
I don’t mind paying my share but only if it is done fairly. Why should seniors in LaGrange pay school taxes when other counties in Georgia exempt seniors after age 62. My relatives in Floyd and Cobb County don’t understand why I still pay school taxes at age 83. My taxes have been raised three time in the last ten years as my property has been revalued, the last time by $6,000.
If have an FHH home which has had no improvements for three years. Some of the homes around me have been foreclosed on and many down the road from me have been for sale for over a year. Others are desperately in need of repairs. Maybe the school board needs to ride down Old West Point Road to Cannonville Road and take a look at the condition of some of the homes.
Georgia Haynes
LaGrange, GA
The true answer is in propely educating our populace so that the generational reliance on social services is broken. That is where educational taxes come in and that is why we should all pay.... because we all benefit.
That being said, I'm one of the first to complain when my tax bill comes every year because I do not think we are getting what we pay for from our local school board. I think it is absurd that we are so "top heavy" at the administrative offices. One of the things I learned when completing my business degree was that there are management models in business structure (often utilized in tough economies) where middle and upper management functions can be merged and reduce overall costs because these different levels of management, essentially, replicate functions on many levels. This is because the functions of these two levels of management are planning, organizing, staffing, leading/directing, controlling/monitoring, and motivating. In governmental positions, the redundancy also adds to layers of bureaucracy, which in turn makes it harder to effectively relay directions and get things done. It is also next to impossible to get buy in from these individuals (in power) because someone will lose their job and someone will have to do more work. Plus, this is the system that the collective "they" have succeeded in and if you upset their apple cart they have no more of a leg up then the next guy.
All of that being said, the reduction of waste in our local school board would go a long way in solving our issue of excessive school taxes. A good place to start would be in firing Cole Pugh and hiring a suitable (but affordable) replacement. A next step would be in cutting positions that are absolutely useless (such as the Public Information Officer) and by completing a performance/needs based assessment on all other management positions.
It is time that we as citizens begin demanding that such activities and actions of our governmental employees be more closely monitored. It is "our" money that they are spending, and although I think we should all pay, I also think we should hold them accountable for reducing costs. Let's demand that the long standing proverbial apple cart, be upset!
Now that we have that straight, our idea of reducing school taxes for seniors is valid. Some other counties have tried and failed...like Carroll County. Let's compare those counties to see how they compare.
Who benefits from a well educated community? I say everyone. Better educated communities have less crime, better workforce, and will attract new citizens much easier. With better educated citizens should come higher incomes which should attract better businesses.
I bet your school tax is less than $ 400, so how much do you think you should pay ? What do you say to folks who have no children ? What about folks who move here and their kids have long since graduated ?
As I have said many times, our school board need not one but several watch dog committees and should be questioned about every move they make.
Troup County is not getting what we pay for in man areas not just the school board!