Bernalillo County’s tax wolf is at the door again

Bernalillo County takes the third-largest share of the property taxes paid on a home in the city of Albuquerque and 12 percent of the gross receipts taxes paid on most goods and services purchased in the Duke City. And although more than 556,000 of the county’s 674,000 residents live within the city limits and get their police, fire, roads, community center and other government services from the city, the county maintains that the growing amount of tax money it collects isn’t enough to make ends meet. So it is considering asking for more. Yes, the county wrested control of the jail away from the city in 2006 and has to foot that bill, but it also should be noted that when that happened the city lowered its take and the county raised its tax rate in recognition of the new arrangement.

And while last year’s $261 million county budget had the jail cost at $61 million, the jail population has declined. Note that city residents also pay a quarter cent County Correctional Facility gross receipts tax that generates $21 million a year and a one-eighth cent County Healthcare gross-receipts tax that gins up $10 million a year and is used in part for inmate health services.

Meanwhile, the Consumer Price Index puts the rate of inflation it measures over the past five years at around 9 percent, county spending is up 11 percent during that period while city spending is down 1 percent. The current proposed county budget is — no surprise — up, to $272 million.

County officials maintain they are in a budget crisis and facing specters of furloughed employees and shuttered after-school programs. All the better to scare taxpayers into accepting yet another tax increase, my dear.

Any county property or gross receipts tax increase would come on the heels of the county’s 2015 annual GRT increases to generate $8 million to fund operations and $16 million for yet-to-be-determined behavioral health programs.

And an annual property tax hike to get the county $2.8 million to buy and maintain open-space lands.

And a property-tax funded bond package worth $27.5 million for everything from county road maintenance to an otter exhibit at the zoo.

And new county franchise taxes that get passed along to consumers.

And a higher county minimum wage that affects business owners and customers.

Meanwhile, over at the city of Albuquerque, the mayor’s proposed operating budget does not include any tax or fee increase, boosts spending by 2.7 percent, adds $18 million in new construction projects, a new “clean team” to target graffiti and rundown properties, gives employees raises, plows an extra $3.5 million into the city’s self-insurance fund and moves more operational money back to capital projects so the city is truly investing in itself instead of a bloated bureaucracy.

Albuquerque residents account for about 83 percent of Bernalillo County’s population, 82.4 percent of its property tax income and 85 percent of its grossreceipts tax income, yet they get the bulk of their local government services from the city.

The county should decide what services it really needs to provide vs. how to fund the 2,600-employee enterprise it has assembled.

What has changed so dramatically to put a tax wolf at the door and the county’s sheep mascot, Bernco Bernie, in need of more taxpayer hay year after year? It’s got to be more than a $17 million treasurer scandal or a commissioner’s $20K junket to France — unless those exemplify an entrenched pattern of fiscal missteps.

Voters rejected consolidating city and county governments back in 2004, 2003, 1973 and 1959, buying the argument that there is little duplication and opportunity for savings and efficiencies. They should reconsider that premise as property tax valuations hit their mailboxes, the amount of GRT they pay increases, and the county gears up to once again ask them for more money.