Fiscal Accountability

I will not minimize that every dollar in the county coffers has been taken taxpayers, certainly during these extremely high fuel, food, and all other necessities of a good quality of life.

Furthermore, I will oppose taxes as the quick fix out of tight situations. The county will use your tax money responsibly, or you will know of their actions. I will be in office to represent you to government, not government to you.

Opposing expensive "Ultimate Gold watches" for political cronies, such as doc1, doc2, and doc3 lack honesty and common sense.

I will remember the salaries of our elected public servants in relationship to the county’s per capita income of $21,000. There is something morally wrong when your part-time commissioners takes home 133% of the per capita.

Because I feel, elected public servants' collective compensation, including perks, salaries, and expense allowsances, should be tied to their constitutents' per capita, I will donate, after taxes, the difference between my county salary and the county per capita toward the education of our students at Notasulga High School.

Other than a political favor, I fail to understand the rationale to give $4,800 pay hike to a "public servant" within 18 months of retirement raising his salary to $108,000. I will vote against taxpayers and businesses being on the hook for good-ole boys' political favors.

Double dipping produces an economic hardship to the taxpayer and I will do my best it is ended.

I will keep citizens apprised of county business, in particular dollars and cent discussions, pushing for a local referendum to the people for tax and fee increases and the application, manipulation, and all costs related to county bonds. The ballot is OURS and will be employed accordingly.

The county-wide mandated Business License Privlege (extortion) Fee is a disincentive to enable the county to pick the lower fruit. Not all counties have a county- wide Business “Privlege” Fee and thus some businesses go to a nearby county. The State of Alabama within two years will have phased out its Business License Privlege (extortion) Fee.

I will continue working to have the Fee reduced or eliminated, as economists state, will often produce a greater revenue stream.

I suspect the county’s portion of the "Amazon" on-line sales tax is greater than OUR Macon County sales tax collected prior to the “Amazon” Tax, for one primary reason, Macon County is not business friendly.

The entire budget process documents will be on-line for public inspection and discussion. If not on the Macon County web page, then on my personal page, under the "Local" tab.

Yellowhammer.com's Jordan Laporta reinforced the dangers of high sales taxes, to a position stating "High sales taxes can be a deterrent to commerce in a given region both on the supply and demand side." Quoting the Tax Foundation in Laporta's column, “While many factors influence business location and investment decisions, sales taxes are something within policy makers’ control that can have immediate impacts.”

I am sickened knowing citizens must often choose between their prescribed medications, breakfast for their family, gifts for their children and grandchildren, and upkeep and required insurance on their vehicles to get to work when our elected public servants are making one and a third to upwards to 4 or more than the average citizen, who may be working two or more jobs without benefits.

Their is no reason upwards to 17 county vehicles should be treated as personal going home on workdays and weekends. Think of the savings of maintenance, fuel, insurance, and repair costs.

 

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