I took my three minutes to speak to the city council about the amount of $300. That’s how much the average household annual expense has increased since Tony Cox became the city administrator. This number was intended to be a very conservative figure. I reminded the council that elderly citizens in the community went almost eight years an increase in Social Security benefits. I also reminded them that the tax increases they have imposed in the past 10 years came at a time when most working-class members of our community were receiving little-to-no raises in wages or salary.

As expected, Morristown City Council voted to pass the garbage fee increase, with only one member (Chris Bivens) voting No. And Mayor Gary Chesney had some very choice words in reaction to my comments. He claimed before the council that the $300 figure was “a random number”, in essence, calling me a liar.

So he says, but I want you to look at your bills and judge for yourself how much your taxes have increased in the past 10 years. Granted, some will be higher and some will be lower, but here is a simple way to break it down: