"The first of this year's two property tax bills will divulge more than merely the amount each taxpayer must fork over by March 1. The staff of County Treasurer Maria Pappas has made these bills a more intriguing read — disclosing not only what's due today, but clues to the enormously larger amounts taxpayers have to pay tomorrow….

"Citizens armed with Pappas' data need to be pressing mayors, school board members and other officials to explain how they ever hope to retire debts that have reached onerous multiples of annual revenues….

"These debt totals appear on your tax bill because, since 2009, Pappas has pushed a requirement that every local government expose its obligations….

"Treasurer Pappas, thanks for championing this uncommon transparency."

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