Willy-nilly tax change wrong

We applaud the Madison County Board of Supervisors for deciding at its regular Dec. 9 meeting to hold off on voting for semiannual collection of county taxes (as opposed to the current, traditional single annual collection in December.)

The twice-a-year tax plan might offer at least two pluses — removing the burden to taxpayers of forking over one big lump sum at the holidays and keeping taxes lower by allowing the county to earn more interest.

But too many questions remain to rush into such a major switch willy-nilly. Will the commissioner of revenue’s office have to hire more staff to handle the extra billing in June? Will the county’s farmers face an unfair burden by having to come up with tax payments before their crops have come in?

Also, we are not particularly swayed by the “all the other kids are doing it” argument, which some make because semiannual tax collection is a hit in some counties. Unique Madison County is not any old county.

Supervisors should have answers to basic questions before making a final decision on the twice-a-year tax proposal.

• • •

The successful scramble to have a town Christmas tree lighting ceremony, despite several surprise 11th hour Grinches, is admirable. The week of the Dec. 6 ceremony, it was discovered that all of the hundreds of multi-colored lights on the red spruce longtime town Christmas tree in War Memorial Park were faulty. The town no longer had free access to a bucket truck, so fixing or replacing the lights high up in the 35-foot tall tree was unfeasible.

Instead, a more diminutive – but still cute – cut stand-in Canaan fir was squeezed into Beasley Park sporting a new set of Christmas tree lights.

A bad cough prevented Singer Preacher Dr. Tommy Palmer from standing out in the cold to lead the lighting’s sing along, but the caroling was still top-notch, even though we and many participants missed the Hood minister’s talented musical presence, which has highlighted the sing along for many years. (We wish Dr. Palmer a speedy recovery.)

While the plucky, can-do attitude of the lighting’s organizers was Santa-like (how does he manage every year to deliver Christmas presents to all the world in one night?) this year’s celebration – while very successful – shows that planning for the ’09 celebration should start early. Officials should consider the more environmentally sound solution of planting – roots and all – a new, more manageably sized town Christmas tree.

The newly planted twin elms have been a welcome addition to the overly open gazebo area in front of Madison County Library. Come early spring, why not also plant a good-sized Cannan fir, red spruce or Norway spruce there? The area could use more trees and it would be a roomy site to accommodate the celebration’s growing crowds (100 attended this year’s tree lighting).