After Ocala-News.com published an article about an upcoming workshop where Marion County officials will discuss the potential impact that a proposed property tax amendment might have on the county’s revenue, several residents wrote in to share their opinions. Here are a few of those letters:
“I think that the Seniors and older veterans should property tax exempt ages 65 and older! I think we have paid our fair share over the years! A little of us are on fixed incomes and taxes just keep going up? We as Seniors and older veterans are struggling with all the increased costs for food, gas, and essentials such as prescriptions, clothing, the cost of taking care of our pets, vet, appointments, lights, water phones everything increasing as you just continue to destroy our county by building all of these homes and expanding Marion County to who knows what. I think the county commissioners are a bunch of asinine they need to be replaced and I think that we need to stop all of this progress, destroying our county putting in concrete destroying trees, tearing trees out putting a new houses this county can’t keep up the roads can’t keep up the water supply can’t keep up and our seniors and veterans older veterans can’t keep up this needs to stop now! I’m a veteran who joined in 1969 and fought for our wonderful country and now I’m having a problem with what is going on here in Marion County and across this Great Nation! What have we lost we will never be able to get back! We must stand up now and stop this! Or prices will continue to rise and push us out! I think if you as a new family want to move to Marion County you should be the people who pay the most in property taxes if you want to move here to this beautiful county then you take the brunt of the taxes and the seniors and veterans get the break not you. That’s one of the things that you have to put up with if you want to move to this county if you think this is better than where you’re at now then you need to pay for all the new services in the higher property taxes, fire rescue ambulance everything you’re the ones that take the brunt from the county of the higher prices not the seniors that have been living here for years and have moved here to retire in a place where they can afford to live. That’s all I have to say.” – Daniel Sherwood, Ocala
“Getting rid of taxes would really be great especially for senior citizens we have paid taxes for along time I believe no taxes for everyone 70 and above leave it to the younger generation to pay taxes on there property until they turn 70. There are so many other ways they can pay the police, fire department, and other community services. What about sending all the aliens back to their country where we’re paying $1,000 a day to feed them and to house them? That would be one way they could help the police and the fire department. The United States spend so much money on other things that could be used for the police and the fire department and other community services.” – Cathy Smith, Ocala
“According to what I have been told in workshops, the information you shared is financially accurate, and deceptively misleading. The revenues reduced by the increase in homestead exemption are set to be offset by increases in Florida, tourist, tax possible additional gas, tax, possible additional sales tax. The revenues are not lost, they are shifted to spread the burden of paying across a broader base. Also, God forbid the county should realize that they might have to do what we do when our income is reduced and cut a budget item or two. You could start with the 53 departments in the Marion County public school system. What has the county done with the windfall and increases in property tax because of higher home values, increase in gas tax revenue because of higher gas prices. Did they use those revenues to reduce any debt or eliminate expenses? No, they just spent them. Please please investigate the candidates running and vote. Accordingly God bless.” – Terry Treesh, Ocala
“I have no sympathy for Marion county’s potential loss in revenue. I feel that my tax dollars are not spent wisely in this county. Most of us have 300,000+ homes and are living on dirt roads. The main roads we travel on are not in the best conditions. For what I pay in property taxes our roads should be wonderful and paved in every area. We have very nice schools from what I have seen although I have no children in the system. Maybe they could eliminate one of the many substations that have for the Sherriff departments. I feel that the taxpayers have been taken advantage of in a way the counties saw were an easy target. Thankful for a Governor who realized that also.” – Susan T, Summerfield
“I lived in my house in Marion County for 23 years. Taxes keep going on. I think I own my home, but I don’t. The county does. Let’s do away with property tax and replace it with a sales tax where all pay equally, especially those visiting our county” – Mel Reeves, Summerfield
Do you have any thoughts you’d like to share on the matter? Write a letter to the editor.