Letter writer Mark Schneider is right about who is responsible for the high cost of living in Summit County. It is the current county manager and the previous county commissioners. You only need to compare your 2019 property tax mill levy with one from four to five years ago to appreciate what has happened to property owner and homeowners’ taxes since then.

Since 2018, these people presented and passed ballot measures increasing property taxes on businesses and homeowners by about $178 million over 10 years (about $17.8 million per year). They have a slam dunk because they can tax second-home owners who are subjected to taxation without representation. This was called tyranny back in the late 1770s when our country was being formed.

Those of you who rent thought these new taxes were going to be wonderful for you. You never thought that your landlord would need to recover these taxes in the form of increased rents. Wake up, people!

Now the current commissioners are blaming employee shortages on COVID-19, short-term rentals, high housing costs, low incomes, short people (kidding), etc.

Sound familiar? Increase taxes on property owners and then blame them for the high costs of living.

The biggest commissioner problem we have in Summit County is that they are elected at large. For instance, Silverthorne and the Lower Blue are in District 3, but our commissioners are also elected by people who do not reside in District 3. So we end up with all three commissioners singing from the same hymnal led by the same county hymnal director.

Until these people quit talking about problems they caused while offering no solutions, more businesses will close and our workers will keep moving away for a better life.