The Gadfly is a series of letters offering commentary on local issues and published in the Warrensburg Gazette.

Dear Editor

The tax bills have arrived! Now, aren’t you happy you stayed home on election day and let a small portion of Johnson County voters raise your taxes? Let’s see the details:

The Ambulance tax was passed by just over 20% of the registered voters: 15% opposed it and the other 65% stayed home. The ambulance district tax rate was set at the maximum allowable by a board elected by between 2.5% and 7% of the voters in their districts; depending on the district, between 86% and 95% stayed home.

The Warrensburg R-VI levy increase was approved by about 54% of those who voted. While I don’t have exact turnout figures available for that contest, an educated estimate indicates that over 80% stayed home. Hence, only about 10% of the registered voters approved this tax.

What’s the effect of the constant tax increases? Here’s an example. I own a small 2-bedroom house in Warrensburg; between reassessment and various rate increases the actual school tax paid has gone up 57% since 1996. Overall, taxes on that property have increased by 59% over that period. In rural areas it’s even more percentagewise, since a fire district levy was approved a couple of years ago.

You need to remember a couple of things about taxes. Renters also pay for property tax increases through increased rent and personal property tax on vehicles. When a taxing district asks for a tax rate increase, you’re being asked to give it a bigger portion of your assets and income; the district’s spending is increasing faster than the additional money it receives from taxes on new construction, new cars, etc.

The best weapon that tax advocates have is voter indifference. If you don’t vote in a tax election, you’re voting for the tax. If you do vote against a tax but don’t encourage your neighbors to do likewise, you’re not really opposing the tax.

One other thing – if you’re angry about your tax bill, don’t blame the tax collector. She’s just collecting the taxes you neglected to vote against.