Keith Self's Blog

Citizens,

1. Farmersville celebrated the 84th anniversary of Audie Murphy's birth on Saturday, June 21. Audie Murphy, a Medal of Honor recipient, was the most decorated soldier of WWII and one of the most famous soldiers in American history. Along with Audie Murphy's memory, the city also honored veterans from every era during a parade around the town square and a ceremony held in the historic Onion Shed. It was a moving experience to watch veterans wipe tears from their eyes during patriotic songs, and then swell with pride as their individual branch of the Armed Services was recognized. It was a genuine celebration of freedom honoring the cost borne by our veterans to defend our freedom.

As we approach the 4th of July, Independence Day, our annual celebration, we will hear "freedom" frequently over the next few weeks.

Our freedom focus today tends to our concerns over the threat (and rise) of radical Islam, but we also need to keep close watch on the domestic issues addressed in our U.S. Constitution. Freedom can be lost not only by foreign threat, but also by concentrating too much power and money in our government. The Constitution is a wonderful document written by men who had first-hand experience with a too-powerful government. The Constitution is all about limited government.

As you consider your freedom over the next weeks, consider what Frederic Bastiat wrote in a period when France was turning to socialism, "Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else." This great fiction is NOT what our veterans fought and died for.

Freedom flies in your heart like an eagle.
Let it soar with the winds high above
Among the spirits of soldiers now sleeping,
Guard it with care and with love.
- Audie Murphy

Guard your freedom with care and love.

2. The Commissioners Court voted 3-2 today to institute a 5% homestead exemption with a $5,000 minimum during the next fiscal year that starts in October. This homestead exemption means that your county tax burden in real dollars should decrease, depending on your individual property appraisal. That is good news. One of my longtime primary goals has been to give you tax relief.

However, I preferred a more broad based tax relief through a tax rate decrease. A broad based tax rate decrease would give not only you, the homeowner, tax relief, but it would also give tax relief to the business that employs you. In this troubled time, we need to be encouraging all the employment that we can. I will continue to work through the budget process to include a tax rate decrease that will include tax relief for our businesses.

Sincerely,
Keith

Citizens,

Transportation continues to be the highest priority and most time-consuming issue in the county. I meet monthly with TXDot and our Regional Transportation Council member, Commissioner Jaynes, in order to stay abreast of the issues and the progress of projects in Collin County.

There is also a great deal of work left to do to protect the SH 121 concession fee dedicated to Collin County, approximately $800 million, in order to fund transportation projects important to our county. We are working hard on these details.

Now that some time has passed since two unanimous votes in the Commissioners Court, I want to tell you how pleased I was with those two votes.

The first was the unanimous vote to realign the northern-most section of Dallas North Tollway (DNT) in Collin County. The DNT is a strong economic engine and it only makes sense to continue its path north through the rapid population growth area of Collin County.

The second was the unanimous vote to educate ourselves on the legal and practical aspects of a County Toll Road Authority (CTRA.) Tomorrow, June 10, TXDot will present the first educational briefing to the court. This education process does NOT mean that Collin County will establish a CTRA, but if it becomes necessary, we will understand what is entailed.

These two initiatives demonstrate a vision for Collin County that includes taking care of ourselves should it become necessary to do so because of the uncertainty of future transportation funding in Texas.

You may have read about discussions in court regarding the relative merits of a tax rate decrease versus a homestead exemption. This discussion will continue on June 10. If the court decides to establish a homestead exemption, it must be done by the end of June, long before the budget is developed, discussed, and approved. You may review the information that will be used for the June 10 discussion starting on page 439 at http://public1.co.collin.tx.us/public_notices/Lists/Public%20Meetings/Attachments/404/Court%20Packet%2006-10-08.pdf Be patient; the package is huge and takes a while to open. Do not attempt unless you have a broadband connection.

Ronald Reagan said once, "You can't be for big government, big taxes, and big bureaucracy and still be for the little guy." The discussions on the court regarding tax relief demonstrate that we are listening to the current economic news and are committed to giving you tax relief this year. Stay tuned as we work out the details.

While the naysayers will claim that county tax relief could amount to a small amount, I believe that every bit of tax relief helps, especially when the estimate for a typical family of four suggests that their federal tax bill will increase by $2000 if the Democrats win in November. That represents a 40% increase over their current tax bill. You may read the study for yourself at http://www.atr.org/content/pdf/2008/june/060208pr-face1famfour.pdf

It continues to be an honor to serve you,
Keith