Note: This webpage was first put up back in the PSJ Incorporation battle days. Thus, not all links will still be able to send you to the page intended.
This is a Paid Political Advertisement. Paid for and approved by Linda McKinney 6025 Keystone Ave. Port St. John, FL 32927. Independent of any group, organization or committee.
On September 25, 2002, Maureen Rupe, of Port St. John for Tomorrow, filed an injunction with three other people against the Board of County Commissioners of Brevard County to keep them from lowering the taxes of the citizens of Brevard County. The injunction allows the Commissioners to go above the CAPIT [No longer available] number of 3% increase that you voted to apply to the Brevard County budget in 1996 with over 80% voter approval. The judge's decision to grant the injunction to Ms. Rupe, et al, enabled the County to go over the CAPIT for the 2003 budget. Which means higher taxes for us, whether we are City or County because we will still pay some County taxes.
Why?If Maureen Rupe is so certain it's a good idea for us to become a city; so sure that the County taxes being collected from the residents of PSJ are being put to use elsewhere within the County; so convinced that PSJ4Taxes is going to win this incorporation vote: Why fight the County lowering our County taxes?
County TaxesMaureen Rupe and her cohorts in PSJ4Taxes are set on us becoming a city to be able to keep more of our tax dollars here, so why is Ms. Rupe stopping the County from lowering County taxes when we will be a city if PSJ incorporates? County taxes don't go to cities. They go toward County projects and unincorporated area County residents. If we become a city, we won't be County anymore. Why keep County taxes high now?
City TaxesIf we become a city, then the taxes raised by the County will be in addition to the City of Port St. John's taxes. This leads to you paying a much higher tax bill; thanks -- absolutely and undeniably -- to the efforts of the members of PSJ4T. First they want to tax you as a citizen of the city; then they make sure that the taxes you pay the County are also as high as they can be. Nice, huh?
Ulterior Motives?Is there something more sinister at play here? Consider: March 21, 2000: "Mary Tees, President of Port St. John for Tomorrow said one third of the residents in Port St. John live below $15,000 which is the national poverty level; and most of the citizens are retirees on fixed incomes." So the County doesn't lower taxes. IF the voters decide to incorporate, then the City of PSJ taxes the citizens and between the high County taxes (thanks, Maureen) and the City taxes, a lot of residents can no longer afford to live in PSJ. They pack their bags, load the kids into the car and wave goodbye to their friends as they pull out of the driveway. Or, those retirees on fixed incomes can't afford to live here anymore and they leave. What does that do to PSJ, the City? We now have fewer residents, empty houses that can't sell nor rent due to high taxes; and PSJ is stuck. The amount of ad valorem taxes being collected by the City is a lot lower than they planned. Now they have to raise taxes to be able to provide any of the services a City is supposed to provide. More residents have to leave because now they can't afford to live here. A vicious cycle plays out and PSJ becomes a ghost town.
Where are our taxes going?IF Maureen Rupe thinks that our taxes are going to other places within Brevard County -- down south, up north, wherever -- why would she want to raise our COUNTY taxes if the County is going to wind up spending them elsewhere? Why do that? Why support that? Why file an injunction to keep the County from lowering our taxes if more of our money is just going to go down south or up north somewhere?
She's not aloneMaureen Rupe is not the only PSJ4Taxes person trying to keep the County from lowering your taxes. She and her cohorts, Mary Tees and Amy Tidd, all spoke before the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners on Thursday, September 26, 2002 trying to convince them NOT to lower your taxes. Why? PSJ4Taxes is always saying they won't be raising our taxes very much; they say they can run the city on 0.5% millage rate (with our tax base, that's $242,500). If the PSJ4Taxes people are so keen on keeping the City taxes down, why not be just as desirous of keeping the County taxes down? What is it we are not seeing?