We strongly oppose a tax, taxing houseboats. With the recent Pulaski County School Board Tax, Pulaski County Library Tax, Increasing Insurance costs, Registration costs, and travel expenses to name a few, boating in this community cannot support the taxes already imposed much less additional fees for houseboat recreation. When boaters travel to this beautiful area, they spend money in local stores, buy groceries, get haircuts, attend church, purchase land, rent storage facilities, purchase boats and cars from local dealers, have their boats and cars serviced, dine in local restaurants, increase lodging and contribute to the economic development of Burnside, Pulaski County, Lake Cumberland, and the State of Kentucky. Many also fall in love with the community and move here. All this economic activity generates tax revenues, creates jobs, business opportunities and increases property values for the community. Higher property values directly generate revenue for our school system which receives approximately 62.33% of property tax in Pulaski County. The repair of Wolf Creek Dam has badly damaged the economic engine that is Lake Cumberland. The severity of this situation resulted in both Republican and Democrat Kentucky Governors along with the United State Small Business Administration declaring the area an Economic Disaster. The houseboat industry has been decimated. This used to be the “Houseboat Capital of the World.” A signature industry for this community. The Pulaski County School Board and Library Tax are already having a detrimental impact on our economy. Boats are leaving Lake Cumberland and going up for sale. These regressive taxes on this already besieged signature industry are further damaging it, preventing economic recovery, killing economic activity, jobs and growth opportunities. The education of our children is of critical importance to their future and indeed the future of the Community and our Nation. However the economic health of our community is also critically important to our children’s future and well-being. How many numerous times in this community have we all spoken to frustrated parents who say their child has graduated college but can’t move back to our community because they can’t find a good job. We desperately need to adhere to pro-growth strategies. We respectfully request the School and Library Boards re-evaluate the overall impact of these taxes to our communities’ economy and rescind them. Burnside is the only city on Lake Cumberland and possesses significant water acreage. It should be the ‘Venice of Kentucky.’ This community considers itself the “Houseboat Capital of the World,” but with the increase in costs of houseboating, the “Houseboat Capital,” has become very unfriendly to its signature industry. Passage of yet another tax on this industry will cause boaters to migrate to more houseboat friendly communities, lakes and States like Tennessee. DON’T PASS YET ANOTHER REGRESSIVE TAX AGAINST THIS SIGNATURE INDUSTRY OF THE COMMUNITY! LET’S RESCIND THE ONES WE HAVE IMPOSED! KEEP BURNSIDE AND PULASKI COUNTY, KENTUCKY BOATER FRIENDLY, PURSUE PRO-GROWTH STRATEGIES TO REBUILD THE LAKE CUMBERLAND ECONOMIC ENGINE AND WE CAN AGAIN BE “THE HOUSEBOAT CAPITAL OF THE WORLD”!