Here is a bit of Hardin County triva.

HISTORY - $28 wheel tax increase as proposed by Resolution No. 08-2004-137 and adopted by the Hardin County Commission on August 16, 2004.

Rhetoric - We have only two choices, this wheel tax increase or a property tax increase and we can't do the property tax thing until next year and we need to fund the jail project, right now and wheel tax is our only available funding source.

November 2004, 55% to 45%, the majority of the voters said no to the wheel tax increase to fund the construction of a new jail. Seems to me that means the voters accepted the risk of a property tax increase as an alternative.

TODAY - $36 wheel tax increase as proposed by Resolution No. 10-2005-176 and adopted by the Hardin County Commission on October 17, 2005.

Rhetoric - We didn’t do the property tax thing when we had the chance because we were in a state of flux with this lawsuit thing and it’s too late to do it now. It would be next year before we can do a property tax increase and the funds won’t start coming in until October 2007.

We’re ready now and we must build a jail complex, right away. What they don’t say is that they want to fund the expense of the jail lawsuit and everything else relating to the jail problem, as soon as possible, even though there is over $3 million in general fund balance.

Our only other choice to fund the $9.3 million dollar project, is the wheel tax and it has already cost over one million dollars in construction costs because of the delay caused by the voters, by vetoing this same funding resolution last year. If we don’t do it right now the costs will continue to go up, don’t veto this one.

THE FUTURE - Question: How can the county legislature body take it upon itself to pass and try to enforce virtually the same resolution, except that is ignorant of the results of the citizens vote, less that a year ago?

What prevents a county legislature from over-riding the vote of the citizens, over and over until the voters say, why bother. Going up on the rate each time as punishment for vetoing their resolutions, over and over again. When does it end?

I say, the only thing that can over-ride the lawful vote of the citizenry, is another vote of the citizens.

Have I missed something here?

Ted