Your property tax bill is going up due to the state legislature voting against the Homestead Relief Grant.
In the Gainesville Times, James Mills (R-Chestnut Mountain & Crazytown) complains:
…he thinks the county’s insert explaining the suspension of the grant placed too much blame at the state level.
Despite the fact that he voted for the grant to disappear in the state legislature.
Bonus: James Mills’ competitor in the last election cycle responds in the comment section (copied below):
Since you will not answer my emails, let me answer your question here.
Mr. Mills, no reduction occurred with our property taxes, because you continue to vote for bloated budgets that contain unfunded mandates.
During the campaign, I laid out for you the exact amount that you raised our property taxes for each of the last six years. Your response was that I did not understand that state government is not responsible for property taxes. What is obvious is that you do not understand that your votes matter and your failure to fund the HTRG have now continued to raise our taxes.
Sir, please do not continue to act as if you are not responsible for the financial crisis that our state is now experiencing. You won the election, now act like it.
November 24, 2009 at 7:29 am
Chris…We have been getting the tax relief since 1999 and during that time why hasn’t our local commisioners cut our taxes? The answer is they have using it to instead of cutting our taxes. I think you should be careful of what you say or write before you have the facts. I know you claim to be a Christian so act like one!
November 24, 2009 at 8:56 am
Phillip,
You are correct in that we first got the homestead tax relief grant in 1999. Let me remind you that Mr. Mills voted against that relief grant. You are also correct in that our property taxes have continued to rise, but look at where that has occurred. My recollection of the last decade is that it was the school portion of the property tax that has been raised with the bulk of that raise coming between 2004 and the present. Why?: Because James Mills and Sonny Perdue hate public education.
As to your threats against me, I have become use to the hatred that accompanies speaking power to authority. Please know that I do not take these threats idly.
I do claim to be a Christian. Why is it that when someone disagrees with your ideas they must be inspired by the Devil? I am not sure how you can relate property taxes to any Christian tenet, but I am sure you will try. If you are speaking to my behavior, then again I question your veracity. In no way were my comments disrespectful or libel. Mr. Mills asked a question, and I provided him with the answer. This is the same answer I gave him during the campaign. Sir, unlike you I do not hide behind my words and I am not afraid to speak the truth. That truth is that Mr. Mills, however moral he claims to be, has not been a good steward of our money, and has failed to live up to his promises that he made over a decade ago. Though I do not rank sins, lying must be consider to be one of the most deadly in that it will hurt not only others but the very soul of the individual that bears false witness. Over the last years, there has been much debate over the Ten Commandments in our society. It seems to me that your party has forgotten the Ninth commandment. Phillip, remember a half truth is still a lie.
Yes I am a Christian, and I wonder if you can also make that claim, if not I would be glad to share the love of Christ with you. It is free to all who accept it.
Sincerely,
Dr. Christopher Strickland