Dear editor:
This letter is in response to a Letter to the Editor in the May 26 th edition by a Ms. Roxanne Wilson entitled “Property Tax”. In her letter, she states, “I love Putnam County. I would love it even more if everyone receiving County services was helping pay for them”. Well, Ms. Wilson, I am here to confirm, contrary to popular belief, that every family in Putnam County does, indeed, help pay for the County services we provide. Please see explanation that follows.
Granted, property taxes constitute about 60% of the County’s revenue and, yes, some property owners do not have to pay any property taxes; but, at the same time, about 20% of our revenue comes from sales tax on goods purchased in Putnam County. I am pretty sure every family in Putnam County has paid their fair share of sales taxes; thus, in this respect, all the families in Putnam County are helping pay for the services the County provides.
This is not to say that improvements or adjustments can’t be made to our taxation formula and we would welcome any ideas or suggestions along these lines.
Billy Webster, Chairman
Putnam County BOC