The Longview City Council unanimously adopted a resolution Thursday expressing opposition to citizens’ Initiative 1033, saying it would prevent the city from building up reserve funds during good times to get through the bad times.

Although “Lower Property Taxes Initiative 1033” may sound appealing to voters, “the devil’s in the details,” said Councilman Dennis Weber. “It makes absolutely no financial sense for cities.”

The initiative, which will be put to state voters Nov. 3, would cap government revenue growth to the rate of inflation plus population growth. Any taxes collected above the revenue cap would be refunded to citizens in the form of lower property taxes the following year.

According to Longview Finance Director Kurt Sacha, if the initiative had taken effect in 2003, the city would have refunded $8 million in property taxes instead of spending that money on services or saving it.

The only citizen to comment on the initiative during the public council’s hearing was Longview resident Larry Wagle, who invoked former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes’ statement that “taxes buy civilization.”

“We’re the richest nation on earth,” Wagle said. “(But) we’re stingy idiots who won’t pay taxes to support the government we’ve got.”

On the Net:

Information on initiatives from Secretary of State's Office: www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/people.aspx