I am voting for Ron Feathers for Washington County commissioner on Nov. 6 and this is just one of the reasons why.
In 1983, the citizens of Washington County voted to put in place the permissive sales tax. The idea behind this tax was to provide funds to the townships for the maintenance of roads and bridges. At the time it was passed, the understanding was that the vast majority of funds collected would go directly to the townships with a small percentage going to the county.
Over the past 30 years, that relationship has been reversed. Now virtually all of the permissive sales tax money goes to the county while the townships suffer and local bridges and roads fall into disrepair.
This is a clear example of the governmental tendency to devolve power and dollars away from the people and up the power structure. In recent months, the County Commissioners voted against providing over $300,000 in permissive sales tax money to the townships and instead dumped it into the county's general fund to use as they see fit. In doing so, they have blatantly denied the wishes of the voters who passed the tax originally.
This is bad government at the local level. It is government that denies rather than enacts the people's wishes.
That's why I support electing someone new to the Commission, someone who I believe will stop this trend to big government - Ron Feathers!
Karen Van Camp
Marietta
