A Tallahassee research firm says according to its study, citizens would rather see their services cut than their taxes go up as the city fixes its budget woes. Property tax increases appear particularly unpalatable.
Kerr and Downs asked residents about how they’d like to see the city fill its five-million dollar budget hole. The five hundred respondents were overwhelmingly opposed to raising property taxes, which City Commissioner Scott Maddox said bolsters his early opposition to the rate hike.
“I stood up against the property tax increase at the very beginning and I continued through until the end. Because I believe that now is the wrong time to increase taxes, we’re coming out of a recession. If there’s a need for it down the road, then fine. But, I think right now belt tightening is the answer and I think that’s what the City of Tallahassee has done,” Maddox remarked.
City commissioners will return in August to continue negotiations. Public hearings on the city’s proposed budget are scheduled for the 11th and 25th of September.