Here’s an open letter to the Board of Finance and RTM from a Westport taxpayer. The writer does not wish to be identified, due to the personal information revealed.
To the Board of Finance and RTM:
I have followed with interest and dismay the decisions made by the Board of Finance on the town and Board of Education budgets. As an employee of the Board of Education, as well as a Westport property owner, I am directly affected by their decisions.
I had planned on paying my property taxes this year (and next). I know that times are tough and money is tight. Now I will lose my full-time job with the Board of Ed, at worst, or have my take-home income reduced, at best.
But that’s okay; I’m industrious. I am lucky enough to have a part-time job, in addition to my full-time job. As long as I don’t actually lose my job, I may be able to make up my reduced take-home by taking extra hours at my part-time job.
Uh-oh. The Board of Finance cut the Library budget. My boss said that if the library is closed on Sundays, he will close because he will lose so much business. So not only can I not get additional hours, I will make less money at my part-time job this year as well.
Gee. I had planned on paying my taxes, I really had. And if the Board of Finance hadn’t done such a good job of protecting me, I still might be able to.
Comments, as always, are welcome encouraged.
Morris Jesup might be lonelier on Sundays, if the Westport Public Library is forced to reduce hours due to budget cuts.
You know I feel for this guy/gal but I sense a tad of sarcastic whining in his/her tone. Things are tough but things were good for a very long time. Too good. And I am not sure the threat of not paying one’s taxes is the way to go? Certainly the legal system is waiting for such mavericks. Perhaps the Tea Party would be an avenue of redress. They do a lot of whining with very little action or substantive solutions. Perhaps a third job is in order? Nobody said it was gonna be easy.
Dude,
And so we meet again!! Threatening not to pay taxes is definitely not the way to go, but this story feels a little made up to me, designed to get the readers “going”.
But Westport, unlike other towns is a little lax on tax collection I’ve heard. My in-laws live on Long Island ( where taxes are considerably higher) and, if your taxes are unpaid, they go after you immediately!
Westport doesn’t appear to do anything of the sort. They place a lien on the property and of course charge interest, but if you are here for the long run and have no intentions to sell your home, it would take years to collect. I know you’ll correct me if I’m wrong, being an attorney and all, but this is what I’ve heard.
Not so long ago, they used to publish delinquent tax payers in the paper, but that went away with publishing the names of kids who earned honors in school.
I frankly am tired of hearing about all these people moan and groan about money. I know people that are living in gigantic homes with mortgages to match who can barely make their payments. There have been many homes in town that have been foreclosed on. Not too many people seem to want to wait until they can afford things, the credit card will due in a second. Losing a job is a terrible thing, but living within one’s means and dare I say……. actually saving money might be an option when things are going well.
Anon (may I call you that?): Right on! The people griping about the government and their deficit spending are the ones who are leveraged to the hill. Saving is good. Living for a rainy day is good. As to delinquency on taxes, not a good idea in any times. The powers to be have the power and that sometimes it is fickle.
Actually, Dude, I think in the future – I will go by the Sensible One, so you know who you are talking to!!!
The Dude Abides, Sensible One.