ashe

After hearing the remarks on the "Happy Time Show" by Yearick, my understanding is the sales tax increase would be utilized to assist in funding the hospital. Although I agree the hospital is valuable asset to our community, THINK about it!! That are being managed by Novant Health Care now, and although the CEO states there have been no "layoffs" talk to people who work there. There have certainly been positions eliminated, people forced to retire, etc since she and Novant has began. If Mt. Hearts is such a financial liability with their swimming pool, why not either close it or lease it out to a private contractor? Why should we pay to keep something open and going that is a known dead horse to everyone dealing with it already? And anyone who has had dealings with the hospital can tell you about sitting in the ER for hours at a time to be seen, or the inattentive nurses/staff on the floors, or worse yet the billing dept. How many people in this county has paid a bill then been threatened for months by bill collectors because the hospital has failed to properly credit their insurance and/or cash payments? And a lot of the staff or just plain rude and hateful when dealing with the public in general. With all of these things combined, there is NO logical reason why tax dollars should be obligated to go toward the hospital until they get their act together, become more user friendly and eliminate the money wasting assets they currently have such as Mountain Hearts Swimming Pool. Once again, the new County Manager needs to get his head out of the clouds and become realistic in spending/obligating any of our tax dollars before making such foolish recommendations to the commissioners.

Bench is actually right on this one. When my father had a heart attack several years ago, he drove himself to the hospital. Others do the same because the don't have insurance and cant afford the bill.

I am telling you simple facts that people are avoiding a high ambulance bill in which they will take themselves or a family member to the emergency room..it's their digression.

Dog is correct on this one. The amount of spending on social services can be directly related to the loss of mountain pride locally. The older generation would sell a tractor or whatever else they had to pay an ambulance bill, or any other bill, rather than be indebted to someone. The current generation will stick out their hand and say "where's mine?" without bothering to shut off their cell phones or cable or do without other non-essentials in order to pay their bills and feed their families. I'm not saying there are not some true families in need that do without these things but still need assistance, I'm saying that these families are in the minority of those receiving social services benefits.

and the principal

someone should notify the school board of how dumb you are

I am sure that most of the older generation would be glad to have a ambulance to come and get them in times of trouble, but, it may come down to getting your family members to take you to the emergency room to avoid the price of an ambulance in which I have seen done in the past years....

The tax rate here of 40 cents with our property values will bring in the same amount if the values were lower and the rate at 66 cents. Its not the rate but the asinine values placed on the property.

Compare our budget to other counties and you will see we spend more on our social services then counties twice our size. We fund an airport which most counties dont.

fixed incomes doesnt change that the cost for the county to provide services constantly goes up. i hate it for those people, but they want the ambulance to show up when they call dont they?

Well said Farmer28 I like what you posted.

City is correct in that Ashe has a lower property tax rate. However, Ashe also has a higher rate of full time residents over the age of 65. Many of these are on fixed incomes and even with the rates being lower, as Dog said, the values are often higher than in other areas, leaving those on a fixed income that do own property with the choice of paying their bills or doing without.

And while the younger generation is more willing to not pay their bills, there remains in the older generation an element of mountain pride. Pride that will not allow them to default on their taxes, even if it means less food or doing without medications; pride that prevents them from allowing their children to participate in school "sponsor" programs or from receiving food stamps. If more of the younger generation had the same level of pride, this country would be much better off economically and socially.

OCM you are out of your mind...taxes are way too high and we sure don't need another tax to add to what we already pay...

You don't want ashe to fritter away your tax dollars, simple solution buy all your taxable goods elsewhere...

Ocm it is impossible to compare Ashe county with 95 other counties in the state. A reevaluation was done a couple of years ago raising values on property when they had been tanking for a few years. Values are high as the sky here there by bringing in the same amount of taxes if the values were lower and the rate higher.

i would like for the state to change the law to something like South Carolina and other states with high numbers of vacation homes do. Allow counties to tax second homes at a higher rate than primary residences. the problem is the small minded people in charge dont understand the fact that most of those second home owners usually are shocked at how low their taxes are. most expect their taxes to be ten times as much as what they end up paying. ive had multiple second home owners and transplants tell me they first thought their tax bill was a monthly bill and still thought it was cheap. they were completely surprised when they found out it was really an annual bill.

Each per cent on the local sales tax rate generates between $2.1 and $2.2 million per year based on the volume of sales here. The State of NC takes the other 4.5 cents. Most other counties in NC already are at a total of 7 cents, again Ashe is a laggard. The State of NC takes $9.4 million from Ashe in sales taxes.

Any info you need can be found at the State Treasure's Office - Local Government Commission or off the NC County Commissioner's Website.

Any way you slice it, Ashe County property is under taxed and this produces a relative windfall to second house owners and large retail property owners. Farmers and tree people have plenty of tax breaks to shake off the effects of higher property taxes through present use - so the burden is disproportionally levied against the small property owner. Ironically these are often the very ones that don't understand the tax system and how a low property tax system hurts them.

Bench, 95 counties in NC have a higher effective tax rate than Ashe. http://www.ncacc.org/index.aspx?nid=193

The average of the 100 counties is 66 cents. Natives here don't even know what high taxes are - they have no clue.

Agent, make my fritter Apple, please....

And again, a basic lack of understanding coupled with ignorance seizes the day!

Fins, if I knew the idiot, I would certainly tell him, but I don't know him. That's what he said during Monday's meeting which I watched online.