Editor's Notebook

Another proposal to cut back on funding for essential governmental services is not a good idea.

Oklahoma State Question 847 actually is a bad idea.

In Oklahoma we’ve cut out sales taxes on groceries.

We’ve cut here and cut there but at some point in time we are going to cut off our  nose to spite our face.

We must fund emergency services, public schools, libraries, career tech, public health, county government and paying for our roads and bridges.

The question is about reducing the annual limits on how much taxable property values can increase.

Reducing homestead and agricultural property from three percent to 1.75 percent and other real property from five percent to four percent.

Over time, lower growth limits on taxable property values would slow the growth of local property tax revenue available for essential community services.

Property taxes, that are also called ad valorem taxes, stay in the communities where they are collected, giving local elected leaders the flexibility to invest in the services and priorities that best meets local needs.

SQ 847 could affect how local communities fund the services residents rely on every day.

No one, me included, enjoys paying taxes.

But I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t enjoy good county government, vibrant schools, supporting the nation’s best career tech and driving on safe roads and bridges.

We cannot keep cutting the funding for these things.

Vote no on SQ 847.