Letter: County spends money in all the wrong places

Beaufort County government obviously has no priority in serving the public or any idea of what its responsibilities are to taxpayers. With all the high-value property from Hilton Head Island to Bray's Island, this county rakes in millions of tax dollars and could provide the best facilities and services in the state.

Instead, our county does not adequately fund libraries but buys office buildings as "investments." Also, it does not provide basic sewer service to poor neighborhoods but debates giving away tax dollars for a park in a private development. And it can't provide the most basic garbage collection but gives away $500,000 for an option on private property (an option not exercised and funds wasted).

It also cannot fathom that "public-private" schemes mean public money at risk and private profits. Hello.

County Council members, your job is not economic development. We have banks and corporations for that. Our taxes are not meant to go to the Chamber of Commerce to finance cocktail parties and whatever else they do (no one knows). Taxes are for fire, police and other basic services, and until you can do those simple tasks, keep the business community's hands out of the county treasury -- please.

As a Fripp Islander for 20 years, I can say you're about to tax us and others out of our beautiful Lowcountry.

Jerry Floyd

This story was originally published January 23, 2016 at 5:32 PM with the headline "Letter: County spends money in all the wrong places."