Hope you all had a nice time off.

How many among you as you gathered for the yuletide were surprised to learn that even Cousin Harold, the successful one, is worried that 2009 will be the year he is laid off? Or that Uncle Reginald, who was going to retire this year, now no longer knows when he is going to retire?

Ah, no time like the holidays to catch up with the family.

Back at home, Tax Commissioner Tom Pelham was catching up with legislative leaders. He has sent them a new letter, a technical addendum, he calls it, with regard to recommended tax rates for 2010.

You might recall that Pelham wrote them a letter Dec. 1 not recommending a tax rate, but recommending flexibility. State law calls for the tax commissioner to issue a recommendation by Dec. 1. Pelham was sued by a few school boards and was due in court today.

Thus the technical addendum, in which he recommends a 2-cent property tax reduction, then just as quickly recommends against it. A 2-cent reduction would actually mean a $31.2 million increase in property taxes, he warns.


- Terri Hallenbeck