Taxes and our future

For many years we have sounded the warning bell that taxes would be going up dramatically. While the housing "bust" sped up the inevitable, there was no way that we could spend money at the rate that this township did over the last 12 years without there being severe consequences.

With regard to this article in today's Morning Call, this quote from outgoing Easton Mayor Phil Mitman says it all: ''I do not like raising taxes, but there is nothing we can do. With nothing left to sell, or nothing left to do, we had to raise the rates,''

The bottom line for Forks Township is very simple. Even if somehow, some way, miraculously, the housing market rebounded overnight, eventually, like Easton, soon enough we too will have nothing left to sell.

We believe that even if the Board of Supervisors does not pass a tax increase for 2008, or even if they pass a minimal increase, the worst is yet to come.

The challenge facing returning Supervisors Nicholas, Howell and Miller, as well as new Supervisors Chuss and Egolf, will be to find creative and sensible ways to minimize the pain to the taxpayers. While we stand ready to contribute our ideas if called upon, at the very least, we urge the Board to reach out to the many qualified township residents who work in finance, as well as utilizing the resources of the economics departments of our local colleges and universities for their advice.

Though our future is glum, there is much that can be done to right the course that we are currently on.