Leaders have limited vision

I feel an obligation to my fellow property taxpayers to comment on the city of Marysville Counsel members who approved a 6 percent increase in the city’s property tax levy for next year. It seems that every year there is a need for Marysville to raise the property tax by 6 percent even though the city has the highest property assessed valuation of any city in Snohomish County.

The interim finance director Bob Noack is a strong proponent of taking the full 6 percent tax increase and has recommended this maximum increase for the coming budget year. That attitude will not contribute to his longevity. One can conclude that tax reduction initiatives are appealing to the overburden tax payers.

I do wish to commend the two council women, Norma Jean Dierck and Suzanne Smith, who voted against the increase. Political leaders in Marysville lead me to believe there is no vision for something better and they are content with a small town mentality of being a bedroom community with its limited tax base. New homes and apartments are being built at an unprecedented pace with little concern for their impact on schools and roads.

Something seems wrong when it is necessary to go to Everett, Lynnwood or Mount Vernon to obtain decent shopping or take friend and relatives to dine at a restaurant. Being a World War II retired combat veteran, not everything is doom and gloom. I am told that I can rejoice as inflation is under control, but my telephone bill has increased 25 percent, cable TV by 10 percent, natural gas by 30 percent, gasoline by 30 percent, prescription drugs by 40 percent and water rates by 25 percent. Increases in electricity aren’t known at this time. It won’t be long before the governments’ ability to take our money in the form of taxes will be drastically curtailed.

Marysville