Manatee County commissioners dodge job assigned to financial board; vote against sales tax

New revenue sources?

How many knew what the end results were going to be of the "Financial Advisory Board"? This committee was formed to find new revenue sources. Now we find that the new sources are to make up for the depletion of the reserves that were being spent down every year by our county commissioners even when Mr. Ed Hunzeker was warning them about it.

Shouldn't have the county commissioners been speaking publicly of this issue in their monthly meetings? It seems to me that they want to raise taxes, but don't want to get the blame for it and they would be able to say they are only following what the committee proposed.

When I saw that a Democratic political consultant, Steve Vancore, spoke to the committee, I knew the group was being manipulated into believing the only new revenue sources would be to increase the sales tax by a half penny per dollar and increase impact fees.

Whatever happened to the tenet that Republicans have to decrease taxes and to have fiscal responsibility? Isn't that why Republicans voted for the county commissioners that have an "R" behind their name?

How about setting up a citizens advisory committee that looks for ways to spend the annual $500 million taxpayer dollars more efficiently and keeping the reserves for emergencies?

I didn't vote for an advisory committee to do the job that I voted my county commissioner to do. I bet you didn't either!

I will be voting "no" to any increase in the sales tax.

Sara Cohen

Myakka City

This story was originally published April 29, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Manatee County commissioners dodge job assigned to financial board; vote against sales tax ."