The Cost of Government EDITORIAL

LIBERTY, November 5, 2005 – Property Tax bills were recently mailed out to the citizen’s of Liberty County and as usual they are more this year than last.

There is a logical explanation for this. The bills includes the property tax rate established by taxing entities in the county as well as the property tax appraisals that continue to increase.

However, we bare a larger burden in Liberty County than our neighbors in Chambers and Harris County.

From the statistics compiled by WorkSource we discover that in Liberty County 27% of our workforces is employed in the Government sector while in Chambers County 20% of their workforce is employed in the Government sector. In Harris county only 14% of the workforce is employed in the Government sector.

Having 27% of the workforce in Liberty County employed to provide necessary government services to the population one can only ask why so much more of the workforce in Liberty County is needed to accomplish the work of government.

The answer is that in Liberty County government must be less efficient than in Chambers and Harris County in accomplishing its’ purpose.

That inefficiency comes at a cost as well that is carried on the shoulders of taxpayers.

If you look at the 2004 Texas Counties Property Tax Rates as provided by the Texas Association of Counties you’ll find that County Property Taxes in Liberty County are considerably higher than in Chambers and Harris Counties. Here are the 2004 tax rates.

Liberty County .5675

Chambers County .4808

Harris County .39986

It’s time that all of our government taxing entities become more efficient and reduce government sector employment in Liberty County in order to bring property tax rates in line with our adjacent counties.

Current conditions amount to little more than taxpayer abuse.

Allen Youngblood