
A Wheel Tax - For or Against?
The discussion of a wheel tax has been a hot topic for the past few days and I have heard support and opposition of such a tax. I know our teachers have a hard job and the average salary for Bedford County teachers is below that of surrounding counties. Also anyone who takes a drive in any direction will quickly agree that we have many miles of roads that are in dire need of repair.
I'm just not sure if a wheel tax is the best answer. Seems we are bombarded with taxes as it is and the ones that are in place seem to be continually on the rise. Some people struggle to put gas in their car to make it to work each week and the $24 it cost now to renew tags is sometimes hard to come by. Adding $25-$30 to the renewal is only adding to their burden, and if a wheel tax is put in place how soon before there is talk of raising it because more money is needed? Ask anyone that lives a county with a wheel tax how many times it has been raised in a short period of time since first being implemented.
One point that has been made is that a wheel tax will spread the burden and not cause a rise in property taxes but who can say that if and when a wheel tax is in place that talk to raise property taxes would not take place shortly after?
I'd like to know what all of you think, please share your thoughts on this matter.
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Three of the four standing committees meet on the same night -- the rules committee, the law enforcement committee and the courthouse and county property committee meet, in that order, on the third Tuesday of each month in the third floor courtroom at the county courthouse. The rules committee meeting starts at 5 p.m., and the other two meetings follow in order, each meeting starting as soon as the previous meeting adjourns.
The fourth committee, the financial management committee, meets at 4:15 on the fourth Tuesday of each month at Bedford County Business Complex (the former Medical Arts Building on Dover Street, behind the old hospital).