Let Freedom Of Speech tell you the REAL story that our local newspaper will never print:
Several months ago Mayor England went to the County Council President for a 2% LOIT TAX.
HB1001 states only the County Council can pass this Tax.
County Council President would not agree with Mayor England on this percentage amount.
County Council President Larry McAllister put it on the agenda for a smaller tax increase.
The County needs money and the City needs money.
As most taxpayers know [or should know] every Mayor and Council members all over the State of Indiana including New Albany Mayor England and some council members are blaming Governor Daniels for the local short fall.
Which is a big FAT LIE!
How do we know this?
Remember all the trips our Freedom Of Speech staff made to Indianapolis over HB 1001?
This LOIT Tax is part of HB1001 approved and Governor Daniels signed into law!
HB1001 was designed to hold local governments feet to the fire on accountability to taxpayers, trying to force local government to live within approved Budget and to stop wasteful spending of taxpayers money.
We agree with Gov. Daniels!
The first LOIT Tax vote was in July 2008. The vote was 3-3 with 1 County Council member abstaining.
On November 11, the County Council had the second reading, which was reported in our local Tribune.
HB1001 Law states:
(A) Permit the levying of up to 1% Income Tax to pay for Budget Increases.
(B) Permits the levying of up to 1% Income Tax to provide Property Tax Relief.
(C) Permits the levying of up to .25% for Public Safety Costs.
Note: HB1001 permits either Option A or B or both to be adopted before County Council may adopt Option C.
Source: HB1001 Sections 332 and 342: IC 6-3.5-1.1-25 and IC 6-3.5-6-31
When City and County Council members pass a budget, they should stay within that budget. We New Albany taxpayers have learned the last 17 years and four Mayors later what they are supposed to do is not what they will do!
We will give credit where credit is due because the County does follow their budget unlike the City of New Albany!
We now call this "The New Democrat Tax" because on the last vote the following democrats voted for this tax:
*Larry McAllister, Democrat
* Tom Pickett, Democrat
* Ted Heavrin, Democrat
* Carol Shope, Democrat
Hats off to the Republicans for doing the right thing for the taxpayers by voting NO:
* Dana Fendley
* Lana Aebersold
* John Schellenberger
Keep reading folks this is about to get really interesting!
Ask yourself this:
Were deals cut to "bail out" England so he could point the finger at the County Council and say: they did it not me?
Doesn't that just sound like England?
Why won't he take the blame for the New LOIT Tax on us?
Is England's pattern TAX and SPEND?
The County claims they need the money.
McAllister stated in the local newspaper "we're broke!"
If the County really wanted to do the right thing, they should make Floyd Memorial Hospital pay back about $8 million or more on a bond they owe to Floyd County taxpayers.
These facts have been verified and confirmed that the County Council did do a bond when the hospital could not obtain one. Floyd County taxpayers should be "outraged" that the hospital only made "two payments."
Taxpayers had to [eat this bond] and pay it off with tax dollars which could have been used for other county needs!
It is total bullshit that the hospital would stick taxpayers with the bill!
See what happens when you do your homework?
We think it's only fair and right that the Hospital should pay this debt back to Floyd County taxpayers!
Don't you agree?
Just think what that money could do to help out Floyd County!
We ask you our readers and supporters to contact:
Council President Larry McAllister at 812-923- 5931 or email him at: buckcreek@insightbb.com
Councilman Tom Pickett at 812-207-6529 or email him at:tpickett@nafcs.k12,in.us
Councilman John Schellenberger at 812-923-9057 or email him at: floydco@insightbb.com
Council Vice-President Dana Fendley at 812-949-7001 or email her at: danaf@insightbb.com
Councilwoman Carol Shope at 812-948-1491 or email her at: carolshope@insightbb.com
Councilwoman Lana Aebersold at 812-944-9823 or email her at: http://www.lanaaebersold.org/
County Council will be required to make annual decisions to increase these Local Income Taxes or to Increase Levies which opens the door to higher taxes next year.
Freedom Of Speech has several questions:
Will people working outside of Floyd County be paying the LOIT Tax approved by Democrats?
Who will collect the TAX on your payroll?
Will Social Security and Retirement Benefits be Taxed?
Part of the TAX is for Property Tax Relief. Renters will be paying the TAX and get NO benefits because they don't own property.
Where can the PUBLIC get REPORTS on the amount of this NEW TAX COLLECTION and how it is being SPENT?
In the current measure we constituents " do not trust" the England Administration and most of our Council Members!
Taxpayers should allow bad government to fail.
As long as there is personal gain overshadowing the accountability, there will always be an opportunity for corruption in local government.
How England thinks he can hold New Albany taxpayers hostage by threatening to lay off employees and threatening taxpayers by saying "The people are going to get what they pay for," or we cannot continue to give people services if we can't afford them," and your threats of raising fees and property taxes.
Our reply is this, "we are not getting what we are paying for now!"
We say lay them all off!
If you can't lead with accountability as Mayor...then we suggest you resign...
