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" You want an $80-$100 million dollar a year budget in "a simplified report in the paper"? Good luck getting that Ph. D. in finance. "

" I like the way the city points out that they only get 10 cents of each dollar...the airport, schools, library...etc get the rest. To the average taxpayer...all those things are considered the "CITY" or at least the "governement." It was the city government that voted to allow all these other entities to take a cut. I don't see why I have to fund the airport project...or Heartland Community College so people from other areas can utilize these facilities. "

" This is great. Any reduction is eagerly accepted. It is now Unit 5's turn to give us a tax break - they are receiving these same increases due to the increase in the number of property owners. Or...they could invest it so they would have the funding to build new schools without coming back to the same folks over and over. "

" Here's the trick, they are not holding the line on taxes, they are collecting hundreds of thousands, probably millions more the last few years with the new Menards, Home Depot and Meijers. So tell me to my facts straight, millions or Hundreds of thousands, I don't know, it is hidden and not reported and it is difficult for us citizens to pour through a convoluted budget as is typical of government and figure it out. How about a simplified report in the paper, we seem to get that every month about the arena. Governments would like us to be confused and believe that it is not simple to report, unfortunately at the end of a fiscal year it is total money in, total money out a couple dozen revenue sources and just a few departments to spend. It is no tax cut to me if I get $1.26 but pay hundreds more in home rule sales tax every year. Each household is paying thousands one way or another for all the spending, but the town will tell you it is free. Then where did it come from? "

" Ehh, excuse me, but Normal's taxes didn't 'go down', nor are they 'holding the line'. The Equalized Assessed Valuation has risen with property values and new construction. Here's the bottom line - how much did they spend last year and ho much are they spending this year? Forget about the rates. It's all about the spending. The numbers on the requested levy indicate a !0% spending increase - not considering bonding authority. SOMEONE is paying. It may not be you right now, but it soon will be. "

" They hold the line on property taxes and some of you are complaining? It must be nice living in the Utopian world of your imagination then. "

" smidgen. Can you say smidgen. Thats a funny word smidgen. Lets ask Lady Elaine Fairchild what she thinks of the word smidgen. Smidgen is a very small amount. Example: A smidgen of jam for your toast. "

" What are the tax rates in Bloomington? That, I'd really like to see. "

" Let's just dig a big hole and live in the mud. Don't spend any taxes to upgrade where you live and make things better!!! If you don't have anything good or nice to say...just shut up. "

" I felt the same way about my Bush tax cut! "

" Only the pantagraph's resident trolls would actually complain about taxes going down. "

" It is great to see a government manage so well. Wow, a 0.17% reduction in the face of tens of thousands in new sales tax revenue. How about a reduction in sales tax, that's what I'd like to see. I have a question, $1,600,000 goes to the day to day operations. Actually the budget is over $75,000,000, get some facts and figures out there. Why does the Pantagraph always take a sweet report from Normal verbatum, but grill Bloomington on the Arena over a paltry couple million a year? Normal is losing millions every year on the uptown fiasco and it is't even fully obligated yet. Normal's share of property tax could have been eliminated as well as the last restaurant hotel tax increase had they not gone down this road of barrel spending. "

" savings? this isn't even news worthy. what a joke....a penny "

" What to do with my dollar saved? So many possibilities. "