Ash advocates tax relief for citizens

As an item on the August 4 meeting agenda, Seat 4 city commission candidate Brenda Ash appeared before the city council and told commissioners that she had two issues to bring forth that adversely affected the citizens of Apalachicola as a whole.

Ash started by pressing the commission to hold the line on increasing the millage rate, “now is not the time to be increasing property taxes no matter how it’s implemented”, she said.

Ash then asked commissioners to pass a resolution strongly opposing the rate increase sought by Progress Energy in its petition before the Public Service Commission (PSC).

She went on to explain that she was among the many who attended the July 30 customer service hearing called by the PSC to take testimony on the services and other matters related to Progress Energy’s petition.

Ash stated that such an increase would drastically affect the citizens of Apalachicola and that the $591 million dollars in profits the power company would reap from the proposed increase was a little steep for any business.

“Increasing property taxes and increased energy cost cannot be borne by the citizens of this city. It is time to stop the fiscal madness. And all of us, governmental agencies and utilities alike must adjust to the economic times in which we presently live”, Ash concluded.

Later in the meeting, the commission voted unanimously to pass and send a resolution to the Public Service Commission opposing the rate increase sought by Progress Energy.