Marc Applegate (Taxpayer Friendly)

Watchdog Lebanon Home Page Julia Evinger Watchdog Indiana Candidate Rating

Address: 2705 S. 975 E., Zionsville, IN 46077
Phone: (317) 769-6991
E-mail: marc.applegate@gmail.com 
Website:

County Commissioner Marc Applegate cast a Taxpayer Friendly NO vote on June 24, 2014, against Ordinance No. 2014-03. Ordinance No. 2014-03 allowed our County Council to impose an unneeded 166% increase in the county’s Cumulative Capital Development (CCD) property tax rate from $0.0125 to $0.0333. If the county’s other property tax rate components remained the same, raising the CCD property tax rate by $0.0208 would have resulted in a 9.5% increase in the Pay 2015 total county property tax rate from $0.2179 to $0.2387. The county had ample cash reserves to meet its spending needs without a CCD property tax rate increase.

Watchdog Indiana County Commissioner Candidate Questions - 2014 Primary Election

1. Should annual county general fund expenditures exceed annual county general fund revenues? BACKGROUND: See http://www.finplaneducation.net/county_financial_analysis.htm and http://www.finplaneducation.net/county_expendiitures_comparison.htm. ANSWER: NO.

2. What is an appropriate level of county general fund cash reserves compared to the county’s annual general fund operating budget? BACKGROUND: See http://www.finplaneducation.net/county_ccd_tax.htm. ANSWER: I really haven’t given this enough thought but I am glad that we had enough reserves to get through the past six years. 

3. Do you support a new county-wide Wheel Tax? BACKGROUND: See http://www.finplaneducation.net/wheel_tax_.htm and http://www.finplaneducation.net/transportation_funding_increases.htm. ANSWER: NO.

4. Do you support an increase in the county-wide Cumulative Capital Development property tax rate? BACKGROUND: See http://www.finplaneducation.net/county_ccd_tax.htm. ANSWER: I was not in favor of increasing this tax when it was presented last year.

5. Do you support a new county-wide Public Safety Local Option Income Tax? BACKGROUND: See http://www.in.gov/dlgf/files/Local_Option_Income_Tax_Fact_Sheet.pdf. ANSWER: Not at this time.

6. Do you support “super abatements” for business personal property tax? BACKGROUND: Effective July 1, 2015, county commissioners are allowed by the recently passed Indiana Senate Enrolled Act 1 to establish an enhanced abatement schedule for business personal property tax that may not exceed 20 years. ANSWER: I don’t think Boone County will have to use this "super abatement" at this time.

7. Should the county help pay for road projects within the municipal limits of the county’s cities and towns, or should county dollars be dedicated to road improvements and maintenance within the unincorporated areas of the county? ANSWER: Only in special circumstances.

8. Should the Boone County Area Comprehensive Plan be vigorously supported as a good road map for future growth that also preserves agriculture as an economic development industry? BACKGROUND: See http://www.boonecounty.in.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=65. ANSWER: Yes.

9. Should the individual votes of county commissioners continue to be recorded in meeting minutes so commissioners can be held accountable for their public policy decisions? ANSWER: Yes.

10. Should upcoming county commissioner board appointments be announced ahead of time so interested citizens can apply? BACKGROUND: See http://www.finplaneducation.net/county_appointed_boards.htm. ANSWER: Yes.

11. Should the county commissioners have the same attorney as the City of Lebanon? ANSWER: The county and city of Lebanon presently share the same attorney. It has worked out ok. I would not be in favor if there were a lot of conflicts.

12. Should the Mapleview Rest Home remain open? BACKGROUND: See http://www.finplaneducation.net/boone_county_mapleview.htm. ANSWER: Only if it does not cost Boone County taxpayers an unreasonable amount of money. We are presently trying to determine the true cost to the county.

13. Should there be a tax-supported Boone County Animal Shelter? ANSWER: NO.

14. Do you wish to make some additional comments about your candidacy? Do you have a campaign phone number and E-mail address? Do you have a website? ANSWER: I do not have website. My home phone number is 317-769-6991 and email address is marc.applegate@gmail.com.

Campaign Contributions: January 1, 2014, through April 11, 2014

As detailed in the spreadsheet below, Candidate Applegate is self-funding 83% of his campaign. He has received no itemized contributions from business interests.

Watchdog Lebanon Home Page Julia Evinger Watchdog Indiana Candidate Rating

This page was last updated on 06/25/14.