High Taxes and Out of Control Spending in OS

duh wrote:

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"Your" elected city officials did lower the milage rate for this tax year. If you are going to complain talk to your supervisor "John McKay" ask him to lower the rate. Really what you need to do is understand the actual ratio of milage to dollars. Lowering 2 mils in the city screws the budget. So when the above "Holcomb" dweller complains about the street quality, he needs to realize that you can't ask for more things to get fixed *takes money for that*, with less money. The city gets its funds through the tax revenue? Are u dumb?

Well lets see..........if the city has the money to make the town look aesthetically pleasing they have the money to fix Holcomb. I bet the downtown part of Government street wouldn't be allowed to get that bad. Not to mention where the really bumpy part is..........they should have made those people who build those apartments fix the road back rather than doing a half ass patch job.

Ya, that's why I said 100,000; at least 50,000 of us were smart enough not to pay, but I saw lots of people dropping bucks in that basket!

So see if there is ever an accounting of the money they collected at that festival from both the booths and the people and what they spent it on.

FEES wrote:

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I didn't pay $2.00 to go to the festival, I pay enough in taxes that if they ever start "Making You Pay" to go to the Peter Anderson festival..........well........ ..I just won't go. Besides they charge everyone who applies to have a booth a charge no matter if they are approved or not then they charge a fee plus sales taxes on top.

I am pretty sure the government cannot charge the public to be on public property. They already do that...it's called taxes. The City shouldn't allow the Chamber to attempt this fraud.

Silver lining wrote:

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I am pretty sure the government cannot charge the public to be on public property. They already do that...it's called taxes. The City shouldn't allow the Chamber to attempt this fraud.

The entry fee of $2 is a voluntary donation only. I heard about $10,000 was collected. The chamber uses it to pay overhead and marketing of the event.

Each vendor who is approved does have to pay a booth fee to be listed in the program, and of course must complete the forms from the state tax commission to appropriately report the taxes they collected from their sales, which the chamber collects from them at the end of the day along with their report form.

If the vendor is selling food or alchohol, they must also obtain the festival permit from ABC state office, and report not only the 7% sales tax, but also the 2% local restaurant/lounge tax.

The gray area is when interlopers who are unapproved decide to sell alchohol or other items from someon's private property. They are not under the chamber auspices, so the chamber does not collect tax from them. They do not report taxes, nor do they have liability insurance to sell alcohol, and they try to undercut beer sales from surrounding restaurants who do have all the proper permits. These people are obnoxious, place the city in danger, and are freeloaders. They should be banned from the festival event altogether.

^agreed