Payson Roundup

We were resigned to paying our $5 or $10 per year. Perhaps even patriotically eager.

But as we think about it, the Payson Town Council probably sent the right message by reluctantly leaving the town’s share of the property tax rate right where it sits.

Boosting the town’s property tax rate to the legal limit would have cost the typical homeowner about $5 annually and netted the town about $68,000.

Now, $68,000 won’t make much impact on a $26-million operating budget – but it sure would have helped. The budget includes maybe $600,000 in reserves – a laughable total for the town’s total budget in the midst of a severe recession. The $68,000 would have boosted the reserve by about 10 percent – or covered the extra costs of both Payson’s contract with the Humane Society and the matching money needed to attract a $300,000 federal grant to upgrade Main Street.

Still, the town council looked hard, swallowed – and voted to leave the tax rate unchanged. Hopefully, that decision won’t come back to haunt them. But it sent the right message in a recession, with so many people struggling to balance their own budgets. Moreover, it acknowledged that taxpayers must also absorb the actions of other agencies – like the county and the schools, which have generally boosted their rates as much as they can to cope with slumping state revenues.

So we applaud the council’s long, careful examination of the budget – and the show of restraint at the end.

We also can’t help but note that the financial crisis has actually had some useful impact on the town. After all, the town council cut the budget substantially from the total two years ago – with only minimal effects on town services. Much of the credit goes to the town employees, who have worked quietly and effectively despite the reductions. Credit goes also to the citizens who have rallied, including the volunteers and donors who protected recreation programs and continued work on the trails system.

Obviously, we cannot go much longer without maintaining and upgrading streets without paying a long-term cost. Overall, the cutbacks and the council’s attention to the details of the budget have demonstrated the need for restraint and responsibility – a lesson you probably could not extract from studying the budget process at the state or federal level.

And with any luck at all, we’re through the worst of the recession, which means next year’s budget picture could look substantially brighter – and the council’s gamble on passing up that $68,000 will all work out.

Fresh start, new memories

It seems like just yesterday we sent a batch of new Payson graduates off into the world, but this week the new recruits will fill their vacated ranks.

This year’s seniors will finally have the run of school; freshman will eagerly enter into their newfound freedom. Well, not too much freedom. No more leaving lunch for campus. We’ll be watching.

We fondly remember the start of school — new notebooks and pens, the wonder of new teachers and the excruciating search for the perfect first day of school outfit.

Who can forget that first line of ink on a fresh notebook — a capacity for neatness that eroded just as soon as school’s initial luster.

Alas, memories fade, but not all that knowledge gained will dissipate — you know, the things that truly mattered: How to catch a crush’s glance during first period, into which teachers’ classes you could sneak at the bell and still be counted on time, and maybe some Spanish.

No matter what grade your child is entering this year, we wish them the best of luck. Every year is a new chance for knowledge and personal growth. Payson offers lots of opportunities for students to become involved in after-school clubs, sports or the youth version of Kiwanis.

All offer great opportunities to learn how to give back and to appreciate the world around us.

Times are tight for a lot of people, but consider donating school supplies or clothes for families who don’t have the resources to provide their children with them.

Everything is needed — from shoes and socks to clothes and jackets. Local charities like Payson Community Kids are always accepting donations for all seasons. Before long, winter will arrive.

And in the meantime, as we scribble on our reporter’s notebooks in the ever-unfolding school of life, we’ll be thinking of all of Payson’s kids, scratching on their own.