Feb 7, 2005 4 min read

For several years now, some people have been saying that Fayette County residents are undertaxed. They claim that the reason the county doesn’t have first-rate public services and facilities is because taxpayers refuse to fund government properly. They note that residents in more affluent counties spend much more in local taxes than residents in Fayette County. And they claim, that’s one of the biggest reasons why Fayette County remains one of the poorest counties in the state.

According to them, while other counties spent money to install water and sewage lines for housing developments and business parks, Fayette County spent nothing and did nothing. So, as a result, we have nothing to attract businesses and industries.

You have to admit there’s some truth to this argument. Everyone knows that you get what you pay for. So, if you want low taxes then you can’t expect much in the way of government services.

Also, low or high taxes is certainly a matter of subjectivity. The overwhelming majority of people think they pay too much in taxes.

For some people, even $5 in taxes is too much.

And there’s no doubt that over the years, the idea of keeping taxes low was a sure-fire way to win support in Fayette County elections.

But, things could be changing. Two recent developments should give hope to those advocating higher taxes.

First, the county raised taxes by 60 percent, increasing its millage to 4.0151. While some of the money will apparently be used to pay down some previous debts, the tax hike should enable the county to get on a solid financial footing. Indeed, the new $22-million budget contains funding for things such as courthouse renovations and new positions, which were previously labeled as unaffordable.

Second, the city of Uniontown recently imposed a $52 Emergency Municipal Services Tax, which will replace the $10 occupation tax for people working in the city.

The move is expected to generate anywhere from $150,000 to $300,000 in new revenues for the city. That should enable city officials to beef up their beleagurred police force and crack down on crime in town.

Some of that money might also go toward helping build the much touted parking garage across from city hall.

So, let the good times roll, right?

Well, not quite. Now begins the hard part. Local citizens will have to scrutinize city and county officials to make sure that their tax money is being spent properly.

As long as city and county taxes were low, people could be excused for being apathetic about local government. But now with the increase in taxes must come a similar rise in expectations from taxpayers.

Taxpayers will have to demand more for their money. They’re going to have to pay attention to what’s going on in the city and the county. That means taxpayers should see to it that both entities are run efficiently and out in the open where everyone can see what’s happening. No one should tolerate back door deals or things done in secrecy.

Taxpayers should also be on guard for things such as nepotism and cronyism which have plagued all levels of government in Fayette County for years.

And with most people working in the city paying the $52 Emergency Municipal Services Tax, more people should take notice of what’s going on at city hall and how the actions taken there will affect them.

All in all, the rise in local taxes could be a good thing if it gets more people to take more of an interest in local government.

And if local residents get better local government as a result, than the rise in taxes will be worth it.

Mark O’Keefe is the executive editor of the Herald-Standard. O’Keefe can be reached by e-mail at mo’keefe@heraldstandard.com, by phone at 724-439-7569 or by mail at 8-18 Church St., Uniontown, Pa., 15401.