Some people out in the community have requested this meeting to find out where the tax money is going and it will give us a chance to calm some rumors. There are people with the impression there is a monster out there gobbling up the additional money, but there's not. The price of services is just increasing.

If an area is undervalued, they are not going to be paying their fair share of expenses and yet get the same benefits as others where the property isn't undervalued. I think the numbers we're using now are fairly close to what the state wants, but everything depends on the housing market.

The valuations of property has been so far out of whack for so long that this (an increase) had to happen sometime. The problem is that taxes are such an emotionally charged issue and no one likes to pay them, but the goal is to make sure that everyone is paying their fair share, and no one is getting a better deal than anyone else.

First, you have to be visible in the community. You have to get out there and connect with people. It's not called net-sitting or net-eating. It's called networking. You have to work at it.

This is really about helping rebuild a community and have people not just give money, but goods and services. This is not a short-range, but a long-range project.

I'm up here to show the community we can raise money for needy people.