Mayor makesthe right callwith tax veto

It sure didn’t take long for Talis Colberg to establish himself in the eyes of the public.

Vetoing the effort to put a sales tax on this fall’s ballot was a gutsy call by the mayor because the assembly has enough votes — 5-2 — to override the veto if assembly members vote the same as they did to put the measure up.

A two-thirds majority can make the veto moot, and five votes is enough. So unless one of the assembly members who voted in favor of the ballot measure — Pete Houston, Cindy Bettine, Lynne Woods, Michelle Church, Rob Wells — changes their mind, the tax will still go on the ballot.

The veto provides a second opportunity for one or more of those folks to reconsider their position.

Not to beat a dead horse, but in Tuesday’s editorial we listed several reasons why this tax has no chance of being accepted by borough residents at this time.

The veto provides ample time for the mayor to make his case and for the assembly to listen.

The reasoning, we guess, is because tied to the tax is a decrease in property taxes. Many people out there cast a wary eye toward government anyway. Not one of them will believe the reduced property tax will stay as written.

As Mayor Colberg pointed out in his veto statement, “The effort to make the tax ‘revenue neutral’ essentially ends after the first year, if it happens at all.”

If the mayor is suspicious about the integrity of the measure, how can an ordinary resident be expected to swallow it? It’s a bait-and-switch tactic, pure and simple.

Now, the cynic in us might wonder aloud if the mayor made his decision while thinking about his candidacy this fall. When he announced to run for mayor to replace Curt Menard, the conservatives were skeptical to say the least. But his margin of victory was overwhelming. This veto can only solidify his standing.

On the other hand, any assembly member who voted to put this measure on the ballot must be uninterested in keeping their elected jobs. Who could they be talking to who supports this tax/mill rate come-on?

The possible exception is Rob Wells who said he voted for it because he thinks people should have more say in what they want from government.

Even with that sentiment, it’s still crazy to go forward with the ballot measure in face of the furious opposition to it.