HEARING THE ANGER, POLK BOCC BACKS DOWN...SLIGHTLY

The anger was felt as a number of people attended a public hearing held Thursday in Bartow to discuss proposed sharp increases in property taxes for all Polk County taxpayers designated for road construction and maintainance, along with additional hikes for residents of unincorporated areas of the county to fund libraries and parks.

When the long list of speakers finished and the discussion ended, the all Republican commission voted 4-1 to tenatively approve the one mill (one dollar for every $1,000 of taxable value) increase for roads, but voted to reduce the hike for parks from .75 mill to .50 mill by the same 4-1 margin and reduce the proposed hike for libraries from .50 mill to .25 mill with a 3-2 vote. Randy Wilkinson, Polk's version of Hillsborough commissioner Ronda Storms, was the only commissioner to vote against all three increases.

The hikes face a final vote after a second public hearing next Thursday.

Many of the several hundred people in attendance were senior citizens who opposed any increase in the property tax, which has not been done in 12 years.

Of course, noone wants to see their tax bills rising, but the Polk commission's history of inaction has resulted in a critical funding gap. But the amount of the proposed raise is probably too much at one shot. The commissioners did show their willingness to comprimise, somewhat, in cutting the amount of the hike for libraries and parks. It'll have to come later, though.