For the last ten years, the Crofton Civic Association, along with the Crofton town manager, has been holding back over $220,000 from the county tax payment. The reason given is that the CCA/town manager needs the money to carry this tax district for the three months prior to the county releasing the tax funds. The money is put into a Merrill Lynch account where it earns interest - lots of interest.
When we receive the tax money from the county, the cycle begins again. Each year, this interest is kept in the ML account and has been kept from the tax payers and the county.
Taxes were raised last year by one cent. Another $20,000 for the coffers. Properties were reassessed - another $17,000 plus. Put all of this together and this community has accumulated close to $100,000 "for a rainy day". Or as the town manager likes to put it - "long range planning".
Crofton is the only taxing district that is in the "investment" business. All other taxing districts take out a line of credit to carry over payroll and incidentals for three months. When the tax money comes in, the line of credit is paid (with a little interest) and the cycle begins again. Why has the CCA been hoarding all this money? What are their "long range plans"?
I know Ed Dosek, former CCA president, was dreaming of a community center to serve all of Crofton. This taxing district has been serving "all" of Crofton for a very long time. Parades, ice cream socials, concerts in the park, use of town hall for Toastmasters and other area clubs - all benefit areas outside the Triangle. So why can't the tax payers of this SCBD have their taxes lowered? Is that huge fund going to raises, awards, premium pay, health (medical, dental and optical) insurance for 12 employees?
The tax rate should be cut back to at least .25 cents per hundred. Twenty-eight hundred property owners do not need a one million dollar budget. Sixty nine percent of that goes to salaries and benefits. Does not make sense. It is my opinion that the Crofton Special Community Benefit District is a welfare state. Quite a dichotomy since it is a Republican enclave.