Jackson commissioners making poor decisions
To the Editor:
I want to address the financial issues involved with the decision by the Jackson County commissioners to leave the Fontana Regional Library System.
This past June citizens of Jackson County experienced a significant tax increase. The commissioners made a show at the June meeting of “lowering” the tax rate.
They could have lowered it more. The tax rate went down, but hikes in property values more than offset the “lowered” rate.
With the withdrawal from the FRL, the commissions have spent $11,000 in consultant fees but haven’t released the results from the consultants. These are our tax dollars. It is our right to know how our tax dollars are being spent.
Recently, the commissioners allocated $350,000 to purchase new equipment for their stand-alone library.
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Mask Letson stated in a newspaper interview that the estimate for running a stand-alone library is going to be much higher than the originally stated $500,000. He stated that the cost could be three times that amount, which works out to 1.5 million dollars per year.
On top of all this, the “Big Beautiful Bill” will eliminate federal Medicaid payments to states right after the November elections. How will the state afford this? Increase taxes, of course. How will the average person afford this, given the high cost of groceries as well as the ever-increasing inflation?
The Jackson County commissioners are exercising very poor financial responsibility. The citizens of Jackson County will pay for it.
Lew Teter
Cullowhee
