The Palesky proposal says that each town in the state cannot have a tax rate over $10 per $1,000 of property valuation.

The 2004 tax rate in Eustis is $15.20 per $1,000 of valuation.

For 2004, for each $1,000 of valuation, each Eustis taxpayer paid $3.65 for municipal services, and $11.55 for education funding, county tax and the TIF.

Eustis would lose $5.20 for each $1,000 of valuation in the entire town. In other words, we will lose one-third of the revenue needed to operate.

Currently, we are running the town on only approximately one-quarter of the tax dollars raised. In dollars, Eustis is going to lose $483,592.72. For 2004, the total property taxes allotted to all town appropriations was $349,240.25. We are going to lose more than we raised for all municipal services. We may have to completely shut the town down. Under this proposal, we will not even be able to meet our legal obligations for school, county and TIF and that is with zero funding for the town.

Anyone who tells you anything different is lying to you. This proposal is a very poorly dreamed up farce. It will destroy at least two-thirds of the towns in the state. We have several printouts available providing all the proof needed to verify any statement we make.

Sandra S. Scribner, assessor, Eustis

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