The Ellis County Press: Cities say 'no' to new taxes

Cities say 'no' to new taxes
================================================================================
Megan Gray on 04/22/2011 16:15:00


PALMER - The quarterly meeting of the North Ellis County Coalition of Cities met
at Jenny’s Café Thursday, April 14 with a resounding “no” to any new
taxing from our government.
Red Oak Mayor Alan Hugley passed out flyers Ovilla Mayor Bill Vansyckle received
from the city of Duncanville for a recent resolution passed by their council
opposing legislation that would increase the fee imposed by State Comptroller
Susan Combs for the collection of sales tax.
Currently, the city gets back two cents from their local sales tax.
“If the comptroller charges us 2 percent of  our pennies and looking at more,
up to 10 percent, that’s going to be a budget hit for all of us,” said
Hugely.
The state, currently hitting local school districts with large budget cuts,
could be thinking of hitting local cities next.
“I’m not sure if they [city of Duncanville council] are being preemptive or
what but, here in Red Oak, if such a cut was to take place, $70,000-$100,000
would be reduced from our budget.”
Representing city officials in attendance for Red Oak, Ovilla, Palmer, Glenn
Heights, Oak Leaf, Pecan Hill and Ferris agreed to write up a similar resolution
to try to pass through their councils.
“I am sure they [ legislators]  will try to help their situation at the state
level by hitting us [cities] with their problems,” said Hugley.
“With this going forward, we are just letting the guys in Austin know this is
a possibility we are aware of.”