Property Tax Vent!

[bicker]

What I always fail to understand is why City and County Governments think that our money is theirs.

I think that's giving this situation a more literal interpretation than is warranted. It is really simple: The town budget is $XXXX that will be paid for by taxes and usage fees. That's an axiom.

So assessed valuation is effectively only a way to determine how much someone pays more or less than someone else. Money to cover the costs isn't going to magically spring from the faucets, just because taxpayers don't want to pay it.

Why instead of raising taxes actually CUT spending.

As I suggested earlier in the thread: Cut choir and band at the middle schools; cut interscholastic athletics at the high schools; cut story time at the public library; cut Friday night flicks on the common. However, let's try an experiment: How many people here in this thread are going to go down to their town hall this week an fight for these kinds of service reductions?

So until people are really serious about cutting costs, we're going to be stuck with tax increases when we have both price inflation to worry about, and reduced town revenues due to a downturn in the economy.

 

[bicker]

Thats a great answer cut meaningful activities for children.

We're not talking about "meaningful activities". We're talking about extra-curricular activities. There's nothing else that the town can cut. These are the only discretionary big-ticket items that taxpayer initiatives have left in the budget. What would you cut? Police? Fire? Sanitation? Teachers? No way. Better to get rid of these extra-curricular activities -- have the parents of the children who wish to participate in them fund those things directly, rather than increasing taxes.

I gladly pay high taxes to have those activities for my children and believe me I pay HIGH taxes.

That's not the premise of the message I was replying to. Specifically, the poster was talking about the need to CUT taxes.

 

[lillygator]

actually around here they are cutting teachers and "Extra" programs at the police dept, like the road service crew that helps people who are broken down, etc.

 

[bicker]

actually around here they are cutting teachers and "Extra" programs at the police dept, like the road service crew that helps people who are broken down, etc.

Indeed... so surely they should get rid of discretionary things, like extra-curriculars, before they get rid of teachers, and police!

 

[A Mickeyfan]

actually around here they are cutting teachers and "Extra" programs at the police dept, like the road service crew that helps people who are broken down, etc.

That is because we live in the Sunshine State and all their freaking brains have fried in the Sun Yes, our County/City are doing the same! They want to close our one and only Trauma Center which serves 3 counties!!! DUH.. wrong move....everyone has been fighting that one.

 

[nannerbadnanner]

We were also reassessed this year, but it is law that they cannot increase revenue through reassessments so our actual taxed rate is lower meaning we will be paying the same amount. I was actually very surprised to learn this.

 

[daughtersrus]

I called the county assessor's office this morning. They said that I needed to call our local township assessor's office to discuss our particular case as they could only give general information. Before I hung up I asked why it is that we are reassessed every year. She said that last year was the quadrennial assessment so everyone was done. She checked back 10 years and we were reassessed every year except 06. I asked her to explain why and she basically said that they have to do it every 4 years but if they want, they can do it every year.

She also said that the assessment that we just got is based on the sale prices of homes from 05-07. Homes were selling much higher 3 years ago then they are now so that is how they came up with the current market value that they did. I asked her then if they would lower our value in 2010 when the values would then be based on sales from 07-09 and she said most likely not because by then, they could change how they determine the assessed value. So basically, she said that they can change the rules in the middle of the game if they want.

I then called our local township assessor's office and the girl there was much more pleasant. She took detailed information from me as to our parcel ID# as well as the information that I had about similar homes in our neighborhood currently on the market for more than $100,000 LESS than what they say is a fair market value of our home. She said that our assessment didn't sound correct and that she was going to do some additional research. The assessor himself won't be back in the office until Thursday but he would get back to me.

I'm not hopeful that they will lower our assessment without having me jump through the hoops of filing a formal complaint but if I need to, I will. I did point out to her that the form says that you need to compare your home to recent sales but because of the market, even the homes listed for much less and not selling. If they're listed so much below ours and still not selling, that should be enough to show that we're over assessed.

I'll let you know when I hear something.

 

[bicker]

So basically, she said that they can change the rules in the middle of the game if they want.

Well, it isn't really a game, at least not in the pedestrian sense. Remember, there is no way to "win"; you're not going to avoid paying your proportional share of the costs. What I would be worried about is whether or not you're consistently getting assessed based on the higher value, while your neighbor is consistently getting assessed based on a lower value.

 

[jmpellet]

In years past you might have called where I live Taxachusetts (MA) because everyone thought our taxes were so high. Mine are pennies compared to some of you. My house is 2,700 sf on 1/2 acre and we pay about $4,000. The house is 10 yo. We have a lot of school activities, town sewers, fire/police, etc. We have a bill bill of about $100 for each 6 months and have to pay $2.00 for a large trash bag.

 

[JimB.]

Cut choir and band at the middle schools; cut interscholastic athletics at the high schools

Don't know how your schools work, but here all extra-curricular activities and sports have to be "self-supporting". They get ZERO funding from the school board.

Why cut band & choir? Not all HS students are going to mathematicians, engineers and statisticians. Some are going to college to be actors, writers, composers & dancers. Shouldn't high school be "college prep" for ALL disciplines instead of just hard science & math???

You are attacking the "high profile, low cost" stuff that is literally fractions of pennies. Band/Chorus & sports are cheap.


IMHO, savings can be realized by attacking capital expenditures. The new government office building? Maybe it can wait a couple of years. Make Sheriffs cars last an extra year. Do all vehicle maintenance "in house" instead of contracted out.



How about something as simple as "power management". Our local school board has contracted with a company to manage the way they use power. Equipment costs- zero. GUARANTEED savings - $18 million over 10 years (in 2008 $$). The cost - $900,000. But this comes with a performance guarantee - savings less than $18 mill, consulting company gets $0.


Also, with the valuation issue - here valuations are based on SALES, not listed price. If a house is listed for $100K less, it means nothing to me until it SELLS for $100K less.

 

[disneymarie]

We just got a new assessment notice today for the property taxes on our home. I'm so sick of getting reassess every year! Last year was the quadrennial assessment and this one (like the ones in 05 and 06) were to bring us to the current market value. Of course with the reassessment, brings an increase in our taxes. This last one says that our market value has increased just over $40,000 over last year's. With the housing market as it is, I want someone to explain to me how this can possibly be. We only have 30 days to appeal this so I'll be calling on Monday as I'm sure most of neighbors will be. If this is accurate, our taxes will go up close to $1,000.00! Talk about a budget buster!

There are two repossessed homes on our block that are the same model as mine and both of them are on the market for $110,000 LESS than what the county says is our "fair market value".

We just got ours and I am in the appeal process now. I had the informal with the compan that did the reasesment 21st Century. Our home built 15 years ago for $73,000 is valued at $228,000 If I could sell it for that I am outta here!

Up North in Tiaoga county the county threw their butts out....
I had a certified appraiser come, he located similar homes that sold before this year for XXXX amounts, and I may have to hire an attorney unless we have a group appeal done with one attorney.

I wa assesed at $150,000 which is the most I would get and that would be with repainting, carpeting and repair here and there.
Our school taxes went up and now they want to build a new high school!

Some people went down, no ryme or reason

Keep us posted on what you hear, I do not have a date for our Formal Appeal yet. I am hoping that 21st is thrown out of our county too!
di

 

[bicker]

Don't know how your schools work, but here all extra-curricular activities and sports have to be "self-supporting". They get ZERO funding from the school board.

So those places are already prosecuting this perspective. Great.

Why cut band & choir?

Because, unlike mathematics, English, and civics ("social studies" ?), band and choir are not required elements of curriculum. Band and choir cost more per student than regular music appreciation.

Not all HS students are going to mathematicians, engineers and statisticians.

Why assume that what I suggested would result in just folks suitable to be mathematicians, engineers and statisticians? Science helps folks become medical professionals. English helps folks become poets and writers.

Shouldn't high school be "college prep" for ALL disciplines instead of just hard science & math???

You're way off-base. Way off-base.

You are attacking the "high profile, low cost" stuff that is literally fractions of pennies. Band/Chorus & sports are cheap.

Incorrect. They are, by far, the most expensive discretionary parts of our school budget here in Burlington. By far. Again, you are way off-base.

IMHO, savings can be realized by attacking capital expenditures. The new government office building? Maybe it can wait a couple of years.

They're not building ANY government office buildings here, right now. That's a red herring.

Make Sheriffs cars last an extra year.

Interesting you mention that. Buying new police cars was shown to be a cost-savings measure, recently, in one of the towns around here, due to the cost of maintenance the older cars incur.

Do all vehicle maintenance "in house" instead of contracted out.

That would increase costs, not decrease costs.

 

[crisi]

We've cut choir and band. Extra curriculars are self supporting. We no longer have librarians in schools. Art teachers are a very distant memory. Libraries - story hour - get real - we are down to closing libraries and cutting hours at the remaining libraries - despite extensive use. So now, what do you suggest the city do because they need to put gas in snowplows - at twice the cost of last year?