By Staff
Our opinion
It's the law in Alabama that all property tax increases must go to the state legislature before they are voted on by the people they will effect. Normally, this is just a rubber stamp procedure, a sure thing. However, members of the Morgan County Legislative Delegation said it's their practice not to approve the referendum unless the city council requests it unanimously.
That codicil means the people of Hartselle might not get their say on a proposed tax increase.
The tax increase – like so many other revenue raising plans in Hartselle – would die on the vine.
That's not right.
City residents deserve the right to have their say on this tax and the council should support the referendum unanimously. The council is not voting to raise taxes, they are voting to let the people have their say.
Letting people decide on the matters that effect them is one of the basics of our democracy. It's the job of all our elected representatives to ensure us that right and we should have a say on this property tax plan.