Kennett Square Borough Council recently adopted the 2015 budget.

Interim borough manager Joseph Scalise and financial committee member Geoff Bosley perfunctorily stated that a one mill increase was added to make the 2015 millage 6.35, the second highest to Oxford Borough.

Scalise or Bosley neglected to state that the one mill increase represents a 20 percent increase. Furthermore, Scalise waited until the end of his presentation to mention services that were jacked up substantially for 2015. For example:

1. A 3 percent increase in water, sewage and solid waste services;

2. A $60 per year increase for parking in their garage;

3. A $10 increase in long-term parking permits.

Incidentally, the $60 increase for the parking garage affects all out-of-borough employees, who are assessed a one-percent earned-income tax deducted from their paychecks.

Without commenting on the merits or necessity of these increases, let it be said that the total of the increases is real money and not insignificant. Borough councilmen, township supervisors, and school board members are really no different from governors, state legislators, Congress and the President, who all attempt to soft-pedal tax increases.

This writer believes that all taxes should be reduced, not increased.