Oh yeah, I am so lucky
To the editor:
I thank Mr. Reid for his thoughtful answer to my letter on the Beach Library millage versus the county rate. In my effort to be brief, I left out some points that may illuminate, and Mr. Reid helped bring them up. I did over simplify the math in the interest of easy calculations by using an existing tax amount for .13 instead of .146. I’m sorry but I thought it was close enough.
Yes, our rate is higher but a recent News Press article noted the County Library Fund is now considering going from .29 to .52, thus leapfrogging the Beach once again. And, to bring the comparison home, over the past 10 years, the Beach Library tax has totaled 37 percent below the county. So, we’ve saved money, will likely save more and have a paid for a magnificent library to boot. How many wins do that total?
Now, one point I missed completely: the local business owner and their tax burden. Mr. Reid is right on. I just wish I had some way to make my home pay for my property taxes so I could join in that comparison.
Lastly, the point about the “misleading” methods used to fund the project — how many tens of thousands of dollars have been spent by the town and the opponents of the library only to have those accusations proven false. Time and again even the opponents’ lawyers have conceded the library was entirely above board and lawful in the way the funding was handled, yet a fanatic few keep hurling the same false claims.
Russell Carter
Fort Myers Beach