In response to Marion County officials reviewing a proposed amendment that could potentially create a $50 million shortfall next year, several local residents contacted Ocala-News.com with their opinions. Here are some of those letters:
“I’m a new transplant from Illinois, and I’ve been keeping an eye on all the talk about property tax breaks for seniors. I totally get wanting to help our older neighbors, but I think a total tax exemption for everyone over 65 is a bit of a reach and could really hurt our local services like schools and emergency responders. Instead of an all-or-nothing approach, maybe we could look at something more balanced? It would make more sense to offer those breaks to folks who have actually been here for a while—like a 5-year residency requirement. That’s how we handled it back in Illinois, and it worked well to keep things sustainable while still helping retirees out. I really hope the commission considers a plan that protects our seniors without sacrificing the funding our community needs to thrive.” – Bette Wagner, Silver Springs, FL
“Thank God for our governor!! Losing my paid-in-full home because of the property taxes is something that every senior citizen has to worry about! What if something were to happen to us and we didn’t have the money to pay a tax on something we already own?? The county takes my home?? That’s just not right!! A lot of us only have Social Security to live the rest of our days on, and with the cost of living, medical expenses, etc., life is hard!! The county commissioners want to put their spin on this, as it’s going to hurt the county. There are MANY ways to trim the budget, but they cry about it. Imagine that!! They might have to work for us instead of for themselves!! There are many ways to recap the money. We don’t need alot of the stuff that they spend our money on. It may help the few but what about the many? Are our roads any better?? Are our kids any smarter? When I was a GC in South Florida, we paid high impact fees for every home permit I pulled. The money used for those fees were used for Fire, police, roads, drainage,schools…… So if I was paying for all that stuff, why do I have to pay taxes on my house that I own?? If I have to pay these property taxes, then I’m renting!! Makes me so mad! We’re already taxed to death!! Thanks to our governor, we have a chance to get out of this mess and start living instead of surviving!” – Mike Simpson Sr, Ocala…