Dec 4, 2006 By Brian Oros 5 min read

I had the pleasure of sitting on the Laurel Highlands Tax Assessment Board. As a board we had to look at three options. Two being for property tax reduction and the third option we had was leaving the current tax base at a one percent wage tax. Option one was looking at or raising the earned income tax. The problem with the earned income tax was, there was not enough information available and what was available, at times, was inadequate to make a decision.

Option two was, looking at raising the personal income tax. The same problem here was the same as option one. Not enough information available, the information available that was available was outdated – most of the time. So we as a board, voted on leaving the current tax structure in place. Presently, it is a one percent wage tax. This includes the school district takes a half percent and the township take a half percent.

We, as a board, thought that the taxpayers should know the truth. There are copies available of our decision, at the administration building.

Personally, for me, after looking at the options available, that the state gave us to look at, It became very clear to me that this was nothing more than tax shifting. Because, at the end of the day, the same people that are currently paying the taxes – in most cases – will be paying more. Nothing here, in the way of a tax relief for those individuals 30, 40, or 50 years old, who are paying taxes or own a home. The gambling bill puts the seniors up against the working class of citizens. This is not property tax reform – it is tax shifting.

It is very easy to understand what is going on here. Our elected officials in Harrisburg wanted someone to raise taxes, so they told our school boards to appoint people from the general public – so they can raise the taxes. They want to raise your taxes at the front door and make you wait until, the so-called, gambling money is available at the back door. The problem I had personally with this is that I did not know or could not find out, from the people who wrote the gambling law, how much money was going to be available and how long we the people would have to wait for it.

I understand government. Government is not in the habit of giving you money – they are in the habit of taking it. This makes as much sense as putting perfume on a hog to cover up the smell. This so-called tax relief is a mirage, because believe me you will pay more up front than you will receive back from the “so called” gambling money.

As I was writing this letter it dawned on me that we, as a board, could not look at the problems with school taxes in general. You cannot put a bandage on a cut that needs stitches. Personally I believe that you cannot solve a problem without understanding the problem. My belief is that school boards must stop using a credit card with taxpayers’ names on it. School boards must also stop hiring family and friends.

They must start looking at the cost of medical insurance, when premiums rise. They shouldn’t make the taxpayers pay for it. They should make the employees pay for it. They should also stop raising our taxes because of pension obligations, salary obligations, paying for sick days and all the perks that go with the job. Because we know that some board members want to give the family members whom they hired these perks and raises.

School boards should get back to hiring qualified teachers to give our children the education that “we the taxpayers” are paying for.

The truth of the matter is, as voters and taxpayers we should get rid of the school board members that only care about themselves and the family member they hire, because they don’t care about all our children and their futures.

We should keep the good school board members, because, there are some that care about all our children and the taxpayers. We “as people” must stand up and tell our school board members that enough is enough. If your friends and family want to live high on the hog – go try it in the private sector. I guarantee they won’t like it there.

It is funny, while I am sitting here writing this our politicians in Harrisburg told our school board members you cannot put family and friends on the local Tax Assessment Boards. Wouldn’t it be nice if our elected officials would tell our school boards that they can’t hire family and friends.

So in ending this letter, lets not forget who is in charge. We the business owners, the homeowners, the taxpayers are in charge. If the school board members don’t do right by us, we will show them the highway. So we must all go vote, if you don’t – things will never change.

Brian Oros is a resident of North Union Township and the Laurel Highlands School District.