I’ve been a seasonal property owner in Cook County since 1998. I’ve been a happy supporter of the county’s well-being and its high quality of life since first investing here. I’ve never written a letter to your paper or the county board complaining about my taxes or anything else.
That said, I’m very troubled by the currently proposed 19.9 percent increase to my 2018 property taxes. Like a lot of property owners, I’m retired, and I live on a budget that will hopefully allow our family to enjoy our cabin ownership for many years to come. This just isn’t going to be possible with tax increases such as the county is proposing.
Like most people right now, I can’t just work a little harder or save a little more to offset this unexpected expense. The annual cost of living increase to Social Security in 2018 is just 2 percent. Inflation for the current year is projected to be the same 2 percent. Wages, as we all know, are pretty stagnant these days.
The county simply cannot expect its taxpayers to magically come up with five times (or more) money in a given year than we can bring in ourselves. If expenses are too high, then they must be cut to fit available funds. It’s what every government, business, or family does for its survival. The financial viability, i.e., survival, of Cook County is being threatened by its leadership’s inability to effectively manage their/our budget. If they remain unwilling to do so, we must find other folks who will.
Mark Westin
Minneapolis
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