To the editor:

On Thursday, my wife of 45 years and I received our property tax information sheet from the Douglas County treasurer. It was a wake-up call for us. We knew our real estate property tax on our home here in Lawrence had been going up every year, but this year it took a 12.9 percent leaping increase. So we put a pencil to the future. At the above rate, extrapolated through the next seven years, our taxes will increase 133 percent. We will be expelled by our governments from our own home at age 75 because we will not be able to afford to live here.

The county treasurer’s statement indicates the Douglas County’s property tax revenue will go up $3,457,120 this year, while the city of Lawrence property will go up $2,844,116. USD 497 revenue will increase only a total of $689,688, and the state’s portion of Douglas County taxes will go up $87,814. The revenue for the city of Lawrence will increase by 17.6 percent and for Douglas County by 14.8 percent while the revenue for the schools will increase only 0.2 percent and 7.8 percent.

Please don’t think I’m whining. I’m saying that my wife and I and perhaps many others may be looking for a less expensive city in which to live.

Glenn R. Hinkle,

Lawrence