Last night at the Allen County Veteran’s Memorial Civic and Convention Center, two candidates for Lima’s City Council President squared off in their first debate. Mr. Magnus is the current 1st Ward Councilor, and Mr. Nixon is the current Council President after being appointed to fill the unexpired term of Matt Huffman (elected State Representative in 2006).
Tucked away in the many questions of the evening was a simple question regarding taxes. Understanding that the Lima/Allen County area is primarily Republican and both candidates consider themselves Republican, one might be surprised on why they differed when asked whether or not they would consider raising taxes.
Mr. Nixon stated he was not opposed to putting a tax increase on the ballot so the people could decide, but as a citizen he would then vote yes for a higher tax because he views this as an investment in the community.
Mr. Magnus’ response was a simple no. He stated that he would not support or even propose a tax increase because government should learn to live within its means.
I am a fiscal conservative. It is baffling to hear a Republican state he would vote for a higher tax because it should be viewed as an investment in one’s community. I believe all government entities must live within their means. The best way to grow taxes is to increase the tax base, not the rate at which individuals are taxed. Any public official who views a raise in taxes as an investment in one’s community is truly out of touch with the what it means to be a good steward of tax dollars.
The website www.taxfoundation.org wrote, “Estimated at 12.4% of income, Ohio’s state/local tax burden percentage ranks 5th highest in the nation, well above the national average of 11.0%.” In Mr. Nixon’s own words, aren’t Ohioans already “investing” enough in their government?
We are obviously in an ongoing fight to advance the principles of fiscal conservativeness. Most individuals invest in their community through volunteer efforts, helping a neighbor in need or donating to a charitable organization. Not through raised taxes. We must continue our fight to elect leaders who understand this simple principle. Every budget has wasteful spending, it just takes strong leadership to stand up and make those necessary cuts. Mr. Magnus seems to understand. Mr. Nixon simply does not.
Tags: Conservative, Ohio
