For 3 mills, 120 county employees, our friends and neighbors, will provide for their families.

We will continue to benefit from their skills and expertise.

For 3 mills, your police and fire protection, for a population of more than 100,000 residents, will not be reduced to what was for 35,000 residents in 1980 (30 years ago).

For 3 mills we will have road repair and code enforcement.

For 3 mills your library will have reasonable hours, new books and a new branch.

For 3 mills the Clerk of Court, Tax Assessor and other offices will continue to give prompt service.

All those services have a price, and we need to get used to paying for services that we use.

Call your commissioner and demand a 3 mill property tax increase.

Will we support a 3 mill property tax increase, or will we betray our fellow citizens and our children for 3 mills of silver?

PS: You will have to call the County Clerk, (770) 784-2000. The Newton County website lists phone numbers for every elected official except for Newton County Commissioners.

Patrick Durusau is a resident of Covington. His columns regularly appear on Fridays.