Obituary For Tax Relief

     Apparently readers of the Cortland Standard failed to notice or react to a misplaced obituary found on page 3 of the local newspaper, Saturday edition, July 21, 2012. Obituaries usually appear on page 2.
     According to Cortland County Administrator Martin Murphy, the people's fantasy called TAX RELIEF died and will be buried at the county landfill before the end of this year. There will be no calling hours. The burial will be public and open--no lid or cap on the coffin.
     TAX RELIEF has a pedigree that dates back to 1776, the year of the American Revolution. A recent Internet search of rootsweb.ancestry.com and genealogy.org shows that names of relatives were unavailable or non-existent from the year 1913 to the present.
     The county legislature suggests a familiar substitute for the departing fantasy called TAX RELIEF.  The legislature plans a minimum property tax increase of 3.3 percent, and an ad valorum tax, disguised as a special solid waste fee, to be assessed on all real estate in the county, including non-profit and tax exempt properties.
     The obituary did not include details about increased revenues from sales taxes and existing fees which can lower taxes. It did not explain why the concept of landfill profitability was abandoned. Also, it did not explain why the price of a shampoo and hair cut at King's Den on Tompkins Street did not increase.
     Starting next year, the county legislature will provide all the haircuts. Close shaves, or shearings, will be the specialty.