The Summerland Advocate-Messenger - Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community

To quote Benjamin Franklin, “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

I am positive that most of us would agree we pay too much in taxes, including inheritance tax.

The question is, can counties afford to do away with inheritance tax revenue? Eliminating the tax would increase the tax levy by several cents. That means you and I - all taxpayers - will be required to make up the difference.

I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know a lot about the ins and outs of the inheritance tax fund, but I am beginning to learn and I am not sure eliminating it is the correct answer.

Today, I yield my time to Bill Tielke, chairman of the Holt County Supervisors, who explains how county government will be affected. I hope Tielke’s comments open a straightforward discussion about the tax and provide solutions to generate replacement revenue.