Residents speak out at public hearing

(By Leslie Bray Evans, The Stokes News) - The Stokes County Board of Commissioners held a public hearing on the budget on Monday, June 1, at 7 p.m. A smaller than anticipated number of Stokes County citizens turned out to speak. The theme was consistent throughout the evening—no tax increase.

The first speaker was Jack Gibson, the head of FreedomWorks, an organization that recommends revenue neutral tax status. Gibson noted that unemployment is up, real estate values are down, and that gas and food prices are also rising. He said that families across the county are already “stretched so thin” that they have had to cut things that in the past were essential.

“A tax hike creates an additional burden on the family budget,” Gibson stated. “It’s not unreasonable to expect government to cut back on the budget. . .Taxes are a sacrifice to a lot of people. I ask you to sacrifice as well when you make this budget. . .Make across the board cuts if necessary.”