Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor | Where’s the restraint on tax proposals?

Posted on February 28th, 2024 By: Tom Long

We should do this, we should do that. Great idea. Sure we can do it. Just increase the sales tax, only 0.1%. And then there’s the property tax lid lift proposal of more than 50%. That becomes a big number. Where’s the restraint? The property tax increase is an invitation for an action to cap the property tax, a la California’s Propostion 13. That’s not a bad idea.

When there’s talk of a tax increase there’s always a little deceit. In this case, the sales tax increase is advertised  to “to promote law enforcement and  other public safety services” which sounds nice but the fine print states that only 1/3 of this money must support its public safety purpose. The rest of course goes to the general fund.

The general fund incidentally is also benefiting from an abundance of new homes, businesses and all of those purchases our new neighbors make in the City or Gig Harbor. It’s time to tame some of those “great ideas.”

Tom Long

Gig Harbor


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