My Position on City Taxes and Spending

“Will you hold the line on taxes?” The responses are delivered with lots of “winks and nods.” At a minimum, taxes must increase each year to adjust for inflation, otherwise Marco Island would be in decline. Could Marco operate with the budgets of 20 years ago? I think not.

Dumb taxes such as a Stormwater Utility should not be enacted - a tax increase where the spending is not identified ahead of time. “Just trust us.” Write the check now and later you can find out what it was spent on.

I am against increasing the size of government in dumb ways. For example, there is talk of a need for six more city staff to manage the Marco STR ordinance now under consideration. I interviewed the administrator of the Collier County STR program and she said the county did not add any staff for their program.

We should not allow dumb spending like the San Marco Road Tide Leveling Project. This project has no valid justification. It is supposed to “improve water quality.” How does a pipe under a street reduce the nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants in the waterways? It does not. It will cost over $1,000,000.

It is my belief that taxpayers would approve smart tax increases with clear evidence of improvement in quality-of-life and property values.

Without adequate justification, I will “hold the line” on city taxes and spending.