Alright, it’s difficult to put into words how much I dislike the government simply taking money out of my pocket without my consent. I am offended and feel violated. Imagine being robbed and having your money demanded by someone holding you up at gunpoint. I imagine you would feel a lot like me. What belongs to me, is not the robber’s to take. I earned it by working hard for it. Governments today are taking money out of our pockets without our consent. They refer to it as taxes, but I would describe it more accurately as terrane because a City Council can take my money without my consent. Actually, a group of five people will cast votes, and if they receive a majority—three in the case of Pleasant Groves, they win your money. With the exception of the City Council, no resident was given the opportunity to vote when they increased property taxes by roughly 15% in 2022, a sum totaling millions of dollars in a matter of years. They wanted to increase the property tax by an additional 15% this year, and the tax will not sunset. it goes on forever they won’t be stopping. I am aware that the wording on the ballot has been wordsmithed to give the impression that it is a one-time occurrence, but that is untrue.
I decided to share with you what myself and a few other incredible citizens did in an effort to prevent Pleasant Grove City from taking so much money from our wallets and purses without our concert. We forced the city to put Proposition 14 (tax increase) to a public vote, by doing a ballot referendum for which we needed 2,025 valid signatures. We succeeded in doing so, and as a result, the question is now on the ballot. The Pleasant Grove City Council must be furious that the public, not the council, can choose if this tax will pass or not. I think a vote should be held whenever a city wishes to spend millions of taxpayer dollars. Sadly, Pleasant Grove cities don’t act in that way out of concern that the vast majority of citizens will object and the City Council won’t get its way. For this reason, I am sharing what I believe to be the best opportunity to make lasting change in our city by selecting new council members that will respect the people wishes. To the right is my ballot selection. NOTE: You are not required to cast votes for all three City Council positions; in my instance, I only selected the two I felt would best represent my preferences. If you find this message to ring true with you, I recomend research different canidates and find the ones that will represent you the best like I did. When choosing a candidate for the City Council, please consider qualifications and respect for the public rather than just choosing a friend or someone with a Facebook account.
