“There’s one for you, nineteen for me.”

The Beatles’ George Harrison wrote those lyrics back in 1966 for the group’s enduring hit Taxman, largely as a protest to the 95% tax rate the fab four were paying to the British government.  That’s not a typo.  That’s a nine and a five.

So, it’s important to note that ‘taxes’ has been a five-letter four-letter word for as long as most of us have been alive.

In the Beatles’ case, those were income taxes, which are currently not the province of the Marquette City Commission.  (More on that later.)  But property taxes are under the purview of our elected officials, and if you’re a property owner in the city, yours are going up.

In a special meeting held Tuesday night, the commission heard a presentation from city staff about how to deal with the city’s deficit, currently at about 2 million bucks.  Commissioners, not unaware of the city’s financial situation, were given the ‘how we got here,’ and the ‘what we can do now.’  Choices boiled down to… raise taxes or cut city services. Commissioners, after much discussion and deliberation, but with no dissention, chose the former.

We wrote about this a couple weeks back when the deficit issue came to the forefront.  It’s certainly not anything unique to Marquette, although we haven’t faced such a deep hole anytime in recent history.  It could’ve been worse.  Before cuts were made in city operations, a few assets were sold off, and the city’s fund balance was tapped, the deficit was at about $6 million.

Though the cry of many residents is to cut costs… just like they’re forced to do when their own black ink turns red, the real culprit is the loss of revenue. The recent closing of the We Energies plant at Presque Isle represented the lion’s share of that loss, and that was something beyond anyone’s control.

During their presentation, City Manager Karen Kovacs and Assistant City Manager Sean Hobbins explained the city’s limitations when it comes to increasing revenue.  The only real way to affect meaningful change is to… raise taxes.

Cutting city services sounds like a great idea until you’re forced to decide which services to cut, which puts commissioners between a rock and a hard place.  Raise taxes or cut services.  You won’t see many of them make either of those options their slogan for re-election.

Kovacs and Hobbins, as well as a number of commissioners, cited city services as being critical to maintaining our quality of life.  There are many reasons why your house is worth way more than it was a decade ago, but one of them is the quality of life found in our community.  City services play an important role in that.

One suggestion for something that could bring in a few more dollars, in addition to a property tax increase, is the establishment of an income tax for all people who work in the city, whether they’re residents or not.  The idea didn’t get fleshed out too much Tuesday night, but it seemed to garner enough interest that it may be explored at some point down the road.  Though complicated to implement, and not something that would provide immediate relief, it’s not a bad idea.  It would result in a modest fee to those who enjoy much of what the city has to offer, but don’t currently contribute to the operating budget since they only work, but don’t live in the city.  The downside?  A whole ‘nother set of folks ticked off about taxes.

A quick Google search found that at no time in the history of the world has anyone ever said, “Our taxes are too low.”  And a related search found that tax increases are never found in the ‘good news’ section.

You’ve probably heard that the only sure things in this life are death and taxes. Of those, only taxes can elicit complaints, and the only way to avoid them is death.  Some choice.

“Politicians say, more taxes will solve everything.”

A little pointed sarcasm, from the Temptations’ 1970 hit, Ball of Confusion.  Another example of how taxes, high and higher, have been the source of public ire for… well, forever.

It should be noted that none of our elected officials have suggested that a higher tax rate will “solve everything.”  The primary justification for the tax increase is that it will allow the city to maintain an acceptable level of services and keep Marquette well-positioned to continue on its upward trajectory.  Many concerned residents have questioned the multiple brownfield agreements, which postpone tax obligations, as one culprit for our current sitch.  Without trying to explain the whole brownfield concept, suffice it to say that those deals will pay off in the future.  An immediate tax increase will help us get there.

Finally, here’s another line from the Beatles’ Taxman… “Be thankful I don’t take it all.”  Feel better?

 

Street Talkin’

Heard the rumors about Olive Garden?  So have we… none of which are true.  But here’s a couple with a little more substance.

First, the Shopko building has apparently been acquired by L&M Fleet Supply, a company with stores in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  Hard to define their product lines, so let’s just say… a little bit of everything, similar to Menard’s and Lowe’s.  Their website claims they offer “quality products at discount prices with excellent customer service.”  Other than, that’s what they all say, the best news is that someone… anyone, is going to bring new life to a site that’s been dormant far too long.

And we also heard that Kwik Trip is coming to the U.P., in a big way.  Sources tell Word on the Street that as many as 40 new stores will be opening on the peninsula in the coming years, with 6 to 8 of them right here in Marquette. Anyone who’s traveled through Wisconsin is probably already familiar with Kwik Trip and what they have to offer, including fuel, a modest grocery line, and deli selections at the top of the gas station food chain.

It seems us locals aren’t the only ones who have noticed the increase in activity here in Marquette.  Companies that do their due diligence recognize the growth potential of cities like ours.  Both L&M and Kwik Trip would be great additions. And there’s probably more on the horizon.