Report, eritas, research, conclusions and opinions by Robert A
Folks, some of you are finally waking-up and coming to the CC Commissioner’s Meeting and speaking up during Public Participation. At a recent Commissioner’s Meeting about a DOZEN citizens signed up to speak. The topics were related to three things:
- Property tax billsand how hard those high bills are to pay for lots of folks on a fixed income. (Robert A can directly relate to that!)
- Garbage related issuesand how new rules at the Convenience Centers sends people directly to the dump where they are “Double-Charged” for disposing of their garbage.
- Dogs/Animal Control. Which seems to be a never-ending problem for CC. And apparently Commissioner Deb Hardin’s singular issue. That has never gotten resolved. It seemed like ALL the citizens who spoke about Animal Rescue and Animal Control were C. A. R. E. Members (Clifford’s Army Rescue Extravaganza) and asked the Commissioners “to Support” Animal Rescue. Without stating just what they meant by “to support”. Cash or what??? They did not say and the Commissioners did not ask. And how could the speakers do much explaining when the Commissioners limit Public Participation speakers to only three minutes. Which the Commissioners “time” to the second.
Actually, the Commissioners did not comment on or communicate to any speaker. And that is where the Commissioner’s LIES have manifested themselves by Silence and Deception. Maybe Better Stated as Deception and Silence. It goes like this:
NC Law requires any and every governing body, like the Cleveland County Commissioners,
- To hold business meetings “at least” once per month. The CC Commissioners have since the earliest of times. held two meetings per month. Now, THESE Commissioners hold only one regularly scheduled business meetings per month. Saying that is all the law requires.
- To include a Public Participation, sometime called Citizens Recognition at every regularly scheduled business and allow at least three minutesper speaker. THESE Commissioners have created their own interpretation that says each speaker has a MAXIMUM of only three Minutes per speaker. Saying that is all the law requires.
- Since the speakers may ask questions that the Commissioners may not immediately have the answers to, the Law says that the Commissioners may not have to answer such questions immediately, but later. These Commissioners say they are not allowed by law to answer ANY questions, whether they have readily available answers or not. Or even comment on anything any speaker has to say.
Folks, THESE Commissioners; Kevin Gordon, Johnny Hutchins, Deb Hardin and Doug Bridges have “Bastardized” their Public Participation rules as noted above. And, so far Newly elected Commissioner Tony Berry has not challenged them. Hopefully Commissioner Tony Berry will soon read these particular laws for himself and not pay any attention to any legal mumbo-jumbo that says anything different. On this and other issues.
But what is going on now is a subversion of the intent of the pertinent laws, if not an actual violation of the letter of the law. And an intentional deception to a public who, in large part, is undereducated and unsophisticated and the CC Commissioners want to keep them that way.
Folks, there is two more things.
First, The speakers who spoke about the likely sharp increases in property tax bills that are expected (and Robert A predicted) in 2025 need a bit of additional explanation (instead of the deceptive SILENCE) that the CC Commissioners also took the liberty of NOT providing at this recent Commissioner’s meeting.
Most everybody knows that their Property Tax Bill is calculated by taking the Property VALUE and Multiplying it by the Tax RATE equals Property Tax Bill
PV X TR = Tax Bill (Note that such things as Garbage fees are also added in.)
But very few understand that this simple calculation has one sinister component that is almost invisible in the CC taxing process. But is the Number 1 driving force that totally determines what the Cleveland County TAX Rate will actually be.
Despite all the Hoopla and BS about Re-valuations that have been going on and the appeals processes, none of that matters. There is only one thing that matters 1,000,000 percent. That factor is this. How much will Cleveland County spend in TAX YEAR 2025-2026?????
With the 2025 property revaluation complete (pending appeals that don’t matter anyway), during the 2025-2026 Budget process which comes AFTER the Revaluation) The County Budget People, around the end of MAY, 2025, will have added up all the spending that Cleveland County will do, (the new Justice Center included) and whatever that Number is a CC TAX RATE will be calculated as follows:
2025-2026 Tax Rate = County Budget divided by total Revaluation Amount.
Folks, it boils down to this and this alone. Cleveland County’s Tax Bills are totally determined by what the Commissioners DECIDE to Spend/Budget in the 2025-2026 fiscal year. 100% dependent on what these four nitwits (Kevin Gordon, Johnny Hutchins, Deb Hardin and Doug Bridges) decide to spend, YOU taxpayers are responsible for digging into your pocket books and bank accounts and pony up the money. ALL of it. NO Questions ALLOWED. And, shut up and sit down. If you don’t, they will repossess your house, your property, your car and whatever they can get their hands on.
Folks, YOU’ve been Had. All this SILENCE and DECEPTION from the CC Commissioners has been preplanned and intentional. And Robert A has told you so all along. And, there is more to come when the CCS School Board wants to patch up all our old and run- down Schools with leaky roofs. And the CCS Superintendent and all his top-heavy staff will want more pay raises that are totally disassociated from student academic achievement.
More later. And Have a great day.
