TAXES: Dump the 'mumbo-jumbo'

Somebody please give Mike McDowell, our County Assessor, a basic math lesson. In the Oct. 25 announcement that levy rates are going up, McDowell states that 26 of the 44 taxing districts in the county took the MAXIMIM allowed 3 percent tax increase. He then goes on to claim that MOST of the taxing districts seem to be MORE CONSERVATIVE this year. 

"I think they're acknowledging the economic times. Everybody's challenged so districts are behaving accordingly."

What a load of baloney! It's easy to understand why nobody believes McDowell when he claims the increased levy rates are not an effort to "rake in cash." If 26 of 44 taxing districts took the MAXIMUM allowed "cash grab," then MOST (26 of 44 = 59 percent) of the taxing districts are NOT acknowledging the tough economic times.

I think it's time we elected county officials who will speak out against the never-ending increases in local property taxes, and stop trying to use "mumbo-jumbo" to explain why my property taxes go up every year!

STEVE WILSON

Hayden