Collin County continues to be one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. This growth is a blessing in many ways, but it also has the effect of raising property values, and therefore your taxes.

The Collin County Central Appraisal District reports that property values in the county total almost $62 billion in 2006, up 10.2% from 2005.

Collin County taxpayers presently pay 25 cents per $100 valuation on their real property. This tax rate has remained unchanged since 1998. Even though the tax rate has remained constant, due to ever increasing valuations, most of us pay higher county taxes every year.

It's time Collin County cut its tax rate. The growth of property values is outpacing the need for our local government to grow. Our population is growing at about 5% per year and inflation remains low. Because of economies of scale, we can expect that each new resident will add decreasing incremental costs to the County. In plain English, each new resident costs the county less in services than the previous new resident.

To cut the tax rate, the county must be ruthless in cutting overhead and unneeded expenses. Our County government still has a way to go in reducing overhead. Administrative costs are too high. From 2004 to 2005, the Administrative Services Department's budget increased 30% and Personnel's budget increased by 23%. ERP (software support) saw a 17% increase.

Yet the departments that actually do something directly for the citizens had increases less than ½ that of those who are overhead. Examples include Mental Health/Mental Retardation 0%, Sheriffs Department 9% and the Fire Marshall's office 2%.

The $3 million PeopleSoft purchase, (a payroll program which for 1,400 employees is over $2,000 per employee) is one example of poor spending priorities by the Commissioners Court this last year.

Commissioners have eliminated their longevity bonuses, saving the taxpayers $148,000 per year, but they still allow themselves and many department heads unjustified auto allowances to the sum of over $333,000. These auto allowances require no mileage documentation - in fact, no documentation of any kind. Worse, they seem to be awarded by pecking order, not by need. Do all Commissioners need a $9,100 allowance? Why do the IT Director and the Elections Administrator also get $9,100 a year? Other hard to understand auto allowances include those awarded to the Myers Park Administrator ($7,280), the Budget Director ($7,280), and the County Administrator ($9,100).

While the County must be ruthless in eliminating overhead and waste, it must offer needed services to its citizens. We do have areas that need increased spending.

The County needs to review its pay scales for law enforcement personnel. If we are to keep the most qualified and dedicated deputies, then we are going to have to pay the prevailing rates in the region. Otherwise we will loose the best recruits as well as experienced officers.

The Healthcare Taskforce has recommended a $500,000 increase in grants to the charitable clinics that provide primary care to our poor. The Commissioners should fund this modest proposal.

With the growth in property values and with control of overhead expense, I believe we can fund these and other critical needs and still cut the tax rate by 5 - 10%. It's time the County look hard at its tax rate. It's time the taxpayers received a break.

Bill Baumbach

Bill Baumbach is a Wylie resident and the Democratic candidate for Collin County Commissioners Court, Pct. 2 in the November 7 general election.