Dear Mayor and City Commissioners,
This letter is to protest your raising a new fire services assessment on citizens already suffering from lowered incomes, lowered property values and tough economic times.
In some properties, there are up to 50 percent vacancies, even after lowering rents 20 percent and offering incentives. We all are struggling to pay the new higher city taxes and much higher insurance premiums.
We are only able to continue by cutting our spending.
If we could just raise rents as you raise taxes and special assessments all would be fine. But it is not possible, and all is not fine with the Gainesville city government.
Overspending and lower revenue does not justify raising special assessments. It does require cutting back on all spending by city government and citizens alike.
