Vast Majority of PH Residents Oppose New Taxes
Despite those who have said otherwise at town hall meetings, Preston Hollow councilwomen Linda Koop (District 11) and Ann Margolin (District 13) have found evidence that most residents are not interested in raising the property tax rate.
Margolin conducted a telephone poll to 10,000 households with a member who voted in last year’s city council election. Of the 1,700 respondents, 88 percent did not wish to raise taxes.
Koop said she had no plans to poll her constituents, as she feels she can already gauge their opinion without one.
“90 percent of the calls my office receives are asking us not to raise taxes,” she said.
Koop and Margolin were part of a group of council members who proposed a plan yesterday with Mayor Tom Leppert that would restore many city services without raising taxes. The plan restores hours and services at recreation centers and contributes an additional $700,000 in funding to city libraries, all without adding a cent to the property tax rate.
Of course, it does call for $1 million from the city’s emergency reserve fund, an increase in parking meter fees, and reduced mowing of city medians, among other cost-saving measures.
The money’s got to come from somewhere. How do you suggest the city handles the budget shortfall?
