Dustin Combs, Temporary Chairman, Libertarian Party of Owen County, submitted the following about a rally in Owen County
Members of the Libertarian Party of Indiana are planning a rally at the Owen County courthouse in Spencer, IN on October 12 in response to a recent tax increase. After depleting over $4 million in reserve funds and leaving the county in the red, county officials voted to raise the county income tax to cover the shortfall.
The tax increase took effect on October 1.
The Owen County government has been plagued for years by officials committing financial crimes and chronic overspending. Audit reports from the State Board of Accounts document a government with inadequate checks and balances, lack of training, lack of oversight, and a lack of internal control mechanisms commonly employed to ensure fiscal responsibility. Despite years of warnings from state officials, the county government refused to take steps to rectify this situation and blew through $4 million in reserve funds. Instead of fixing their mistakes, the county government decided to stick the taxpayers with the bill by passing an increase to the county income tax.
“As citizens, it’s up to each one of us to budget responsibly and live within our means. It’s unfair to us that the county gets to haphazardly spend our tax dollars and then saddle us with the bill for even more,” said Dustin Combs, Temporary Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Owen County.
In response to the county’s fiscal irresponsibility, members of the Libertarian Party of Indiana will be hosting a rally outside the Owen County courthouse in Spencer on October 12 at 6:00 p.m. – one hour before the county council meeting – to bring attention to the county’s issues. Andrew Horning, Libertarian candidate for Indiana’s 8th congressional district, as well as Owen County Council candidate Rachel Combs will both be speaking.
The Libertarian Party of Indiana calls on the citizens of Owen County to come out on October 12 and voice their opposition to the county government’s mismanagement of public funds and public trust.
