Pat Collins
P.O. Box 3803
Johnson City, TN
37602-3803
Telephone 423.677.5066
JULY 19, 2010
PAT COLLINS TO SEEK COUNTY COMMISSION SEAT
Pat Collins has announced his intentions to seek one of three County Commission seats in the
second district representing Indian Trail, Keystone, Princeton and Stratton (Dawn of Hope)
precincts.
�I want to represent the citizens with a fresh but experienced voice in Washington County
government�, Collins said. �Taxpayers deserve a choice and I would like to serve the community
by providing strong and creative leadership for economic growth with an emphasis on jobs,
improved quality of life and enhanced cooperation between our local governments,� stated
Collins.
Collins previously served on the commission from 1994 until 2002 during a period when the
Washington County property tax rate was the lowest in the region. �The property tax rate of
Washington County is higher than the City of Johnson City or the Town of Jonesborough-how
can that be fair to these taxpayers?�Collins said.
Collins has been active in the community for several years serving on numerous boards and
committees. He also served 2 terms on The Johnson City Civil Service Commission from 2003
until 2007 as a representative of Johnson City Firefighters.
Collins was raised in the Keystone precinct and he and his family now reside in the Indian Trail
precinct. He is a graduate of Science Hill High School and East Tennessee State University.
Collins is an overseas Army veteran and has over 30 years business experience owning and
operating an office equipment company.
�I support the reduction of the number of county commissioners, term limits, and the reduction
or elimination of salary and full time benefits including health insurance to these part time
politicians-It is time to take the greed out of government�, Collins stated. In the meantime,
Collins stated if elected, he would donate the salary to local charities and only serve one term.
�I will strive for limited taxes, limited spending and limited government while providing
necessary services to our citizens. We must hold the line on expenditures and develop long
range plans to more wisely spend tax dollars of city and county residents�, Collins said.
Washington County Commission, 2nd
District
Would you support a reduction in the
number of members elected to the County commission?
Yes, the number could be reduced as long as the taxpayers are equally represented. This reduction in the number of commissioners would save the taxpayers in salary and health insurance benefits paid to the current commission and streamline government. I am currently not serving as a commissioner however I am seeking one of three seats in the 2nd district which is composed of the Indian Trail, Keystone, Princeton and Stratton (Dawn of Hope) precincts. There are currently 3 seats in this district which could be reduced to one or two
Do you believe county government
should cooperate with Johnson City and Jonesborough on mutually beneficial
projects?
Yes, I would support projects that
would benefit economic development, more jobs and the consolidation of any
duplicated services. Taxpayers in the City of Johnson City and Town of
Jonesborough are paying more to Washington County government in property taxes
than the actual city or town they live in. For these reasons, it is essential
that we have open communications between all governments and we share any
economic growth.
Do you think county government is funding education
adequately?
No, funding education will always be a struggle for any government. The
Washington County budget is divided into 5 major categories. These are the
respective categories and the approximate percentage of the tax dollars each
currently receives:
Schools 35.92 %
General Fund 33.88%
Debt Service 20.41%
Roads 7.75%
Sanitation 2.04%
Total 100.00%
I also need to stress that a portion of the debt service percentage is
related to building school facilities. So, education does receive the majority
of tax dollars in Washington County. In these tough economic times, we need to
consider transferring money from the debt service as it is retired into the
schools (preferably for the salaries of actual teaching positions and not
administration). Please see the last question #7 if you would like to
immediately increase school funding by hundreds of thousands of dollars at no
cost to the taxpayer from the general fund budget.
What are your thoughts on nepotism
in county government?
No, I do not have any relatives employed
by Washington County and never have. I
am opposed to government jobs being created specifically for friends and
family. Employment should be given to the most qualified applicants without
favoritism or nepotism.
Should you vow to �never raise
taxes�?
No, it is not fiscally responsible
to say that you would never raise taxes. It is a commissioner's responsibility
and sworn duty to fund a balanced budget. However, in these tough economic
times it is responsible to say "no". It is responsible to be
conservative with taxpayer dollars. It is responsible to limit taxes, limit
spending and limit government.
Do you support a wheel tax? Are you
an incumbent that supported the wheel tax?
No, I do not support a Wheel Tax and
I am not an incumbent. This is a very
regressive tax and during these tough economic times taxpayers are struggling
and do not need to be burdened with any new tax.
Should county commissioners be
covered in the county health insurance plan for full time employees and also
receive a $375.00 per month salary?
No, the
health insurance (which includes medical, dental and vision) is costing the
taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for the commissioners and their
families. This benefit should be for full time employees only and not part-time
politicians. This benefit is in addition to $112,500 a year in commissioner's salaries.
If elected, I will challenge the status quo and vote to eliminate these
salaries and benefits. I the meantime, I would donate the salary to local
charities. It's time to take the greed out of government and return public
servants to elected offices.