As a Union City taxpayer, I certainly am upset about the recent tax increase. However, I do not share the opinion of a few others that the fault lies with all the Union City Commissioners. From reading the newspaper reports and listening at the commission meetings, I believe that most of the fault lies with Garcia.
When Mayor Garcia took full control of the Union City government two years ago, he promised the taxpayers that there would be no tax increases. Although he inherited a large budget, he did absolutely nothing to cut that budget, but to the contrary began a spending spree in his department that would compare to no other. Even though his spending had increased an already large budget (which he himself calls “his budget”), he misled the people by using one-time revenues to keep the taxes from going up, well knowing that in the future, when the one-time revenues were used up, the taxpayers would be hit with the largest tax increase they have ever known.
Knowing full well how this huge budget would affect the taxpayers, Mayor Garcia refused to seek state aid. This was most likely because Garcia did not want to come under the state’s scrutiny which would stop him from the way he was running Union City government and fiscal spending. Since many of the surrounding towns were receiving state aid, I’m sure Union City would have also been eligible to receive help had the mayor applied for it.
These are the two main reasons that cause me to feel that Garcia is the one who has brought about a tremendous burden to the taxpayers of Union City. I believe the people of Union City need to realize that repairing the damage which Garcia has brought about in the past two years will not happen overnight. From what I have read and heard, the Commissioners now in power have certainly begun to take a series of steps that will put Union City on the road to recovery and I give them my full support and wish them success in all that they are doing for us.
An Upset but Hopeful Taxpayer