Last year, I suggested, on another blog, that maybe Decatur should look into creating a special tax for those who work in Decatur but live elsewhere. My idea was that the money gathered from such a tax could go directly to improving Decatur’s older neighborhoods and commercial districts. Knowing that Decatur has lost a substantial amount of residents to Forsyth, Mt. Zion, Warrensburg, and other rural areas in Macon County over the past several years, I was trying to think of ways to even the playing field for our public school district and city. Watching Forsyth grow and benefit directly from jobs being created in Decatur has been bittersweet. It’s like watching your best friend walk away with your spouse and you get to pay for their wedding.
All this discussion began around the time the new reservoir was being discussed. At that time, it looked like the city and ADM were going to partner up and build a new lake on the city’s north side. I felt, and still feel, that it wouldn’t be fair to Decatur’s resident to shoulder the financial burden all alone. Jobs created in Decatur don’t just benefit Decatur, and it seems like our higher paying jobs benefit our neighboring communities more with their newer residential areas and well-funded schools. To put it simply: Decatur was getting the short end of the stick. Our tax base is shrinking; our neighborhoods are getting older; our schools, city government receive less funding because of these facts; and breaking out of the vicious cycle is going to take money. But where do we get the money?
My idea of an employment tax for outside residents didn’t go over too well. Some county officials weren’t too pleased with my idea. If I remember correctly, I was compared to a tyrannical beast, for suggesting such a thing. I, in their eyes, might as well formed an armed militia and annexed Indiana while I was at. I understood that it wouldn’t go over well with outside residents. The only other solution I could come up with was to annex Forsyth. That didn’t go over very well either. But here we are, still faced with same dilemma. Decatur needs lots and lots of money to improve our neighborhoods and schools, and to attract new employers but we’re broke.
I was thinking of this after reading the City Council packet for tomorrow night’s meeting. The City Manager remarked on the wheel tax, thinking it was a bad idea. As I understand it, a wheel tax can only be charged to people living in the city, not outside out. We’d be taxing Decaturites. I don’t know that I’m too crazy of an umployment tax either. It’s kind of a Robin Hood approach. However, it’s true that if Decatur suffers and loses more jobs, eventually that is going to impact all of our neighboring communities as well. It’s in their best interest that Decatur be healthy and wealthy. I don’t know what the answer is. Do you?