We’ve all heard the old, patriotic saying…“no taxation without representation.”

This nation’s forefathers built our independence from England based on that statement. In short, it summarized a primary grievance of the British colonists in the Thirteen Colonies who believed the lack of direct representation in the British Parliament was an illegal denial of their rights as Englishmen and therefore laws taxing the colonists (the kind of law that affects the most individuals directly) were unconstitutional.

Here’s another “unconstitutional” item you are welcomed to chew on…fair and equal taxation is not present, at least in Hertford County.

If you don’t pay property tax, then doling out a few extra dollars for sales tax is the only way citizens can contribute to the services offered by the county. Relying on property owners to pay both sales tax and property tax is unfair.

We implore Hertford County voters to fill in the oval marker “For” at the bottom center column of page two of your Nov. 4 ballot. There local voters will find a Referendum dealing with a 0.25 percent increase in the county’s sales and use tax.

It’s one-quarter of one percent, meaning if you make a taxable purchase in the amount of $4, you’ll pay one extra penny in sales tax. If that purchase is $100, the extra tax will amount to 25 cents.

This is not a big price to pay. Plus, keep in mind that a portion of the sales tax money paid to the state comes back to the point of sale. Combined, those pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters add-up to help pay for county and town-operated services to the citizens.

And it’s fair for ALL citizens to pay their share, not just the property owners.