Dear Editor,
Like many of you, I have not been overly pleased with the performance of our elected governmental officials.
• National government; too much spending, not enough common sense.
• State government: beginning to live within a budget, but a long way to go.
• County government: due to conditions beyond their control, services are being cut to balance the budget.
• Local government: due to conditions beyond their control, services have been cut and it looks like more may be coming.
In 1958 I moved to Oakdale and stayed because I liked what I saw. Not perfect but, in my opinion, a lot better than most other places to live and raise a family. Through the years I have tried to help make Oakdale a better place and I have remained happy with what I have seen until recently. The lifestyle I was enjoying is disappearing. Public safety, public works infrastructure, concern for our youth and senior populations, due to budget constraints, are being funded to a lesser degree.
I am not a big fan of raising taxes, however in this case I believe a .5 percent increase will bring back the services that I have become accustomed to and I encourage you to vote for this slight increase for a limited time. We recently lowered our sales tax from 8.375 percent to 7.375 percent. I really did not notice that benefit as extra cash in my pocket and I don’t believe that I will notice a .5 percent increase either. Since it is a general-purpose tax, it is illegal to define specific budget categories that will receive these new funds. The potential safeguard is an oversight committee to monitor how these new monies will be spent.
Please exercise your ability to use good judgment and common sense and join with me to help pass this “protect the value of Oakdale” issue.
William Dyer