12-23-2007 States eye ways to rein in property tax

[dmcowen674]

This is a little surprising to me because Long Island New York went through this back in the mid 1980's.

They raised tax rates similar to this Indianapolis situation now.

Plain and simple it is the state taking your property.

12-23-2007 States eye ways to rein in property tax

INDIANAPOLIS - Maurice Gunyon thought he was set for his twilight years.

He bought a deteriorating house on Indianapolis' north side, had it torn down and a new one built. The 73-year-old retired from his government job in 2004, thinking he was financially secure. His income included his pension, personal savings, Social Security and rent from the other side of his two-family house.

Then he got his property tax bill that had nearly tripled.

His bill in 2005 was about $2,900 and was $4,600 last year.

This year's bill ? $7,568.

"I almost had a heart attack," said Gunyon. "My reaction was one of pure anger."

His problem is not unique.

The amount paid in local and state property taxes in the country increased 50 percent from 2000 to 2006.

During that time, inflation rose 17 percent and median household income dropped 2 percent.

In Indiana, skyrocketing property taxes sparked protests that have included homeowners dunking their bills in rivers and lakes to mimic the Boston Tea Party.
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How much will greedy Politicians get from people living in Tent cities?

 

[CADsortaGUY]

If only you close to being as rational as the dave who made this.

 

[ProfJohn]

I think a lot of this is also due to the rise in housing prices.

Which is why Cali limits the amount that propert tax can go up each year.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
I think a lot of this is also due to the rise in housing prices.

Which is why Cali limits the amount that propert tax can go up each year.

Read up on it just a tad before posting.

It has very little to do with property values.

It has a lot to do with out of control government spending.

But of course you support that.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Property taxes pay for the local government.

In Indianapolis, there are two local governments (plus the state) as approved by the people.

Trim the government and you reduce the taxes.

Freeze the taxes and it can force the government to be more efficient or allow the government to be selective in who gets what service.

 

[BarneyFife]

Local govt spending is not an easy thing to cut. Are you going to lay off the police? sell the parks? leave detoriating roads and water mains until something bad happens?

 

[Lemon law]

There is something sadly phony about the ways in which property tax relief is sought. What we have in this case, is some poor smuck on a fixed income who built his own McMansion in a county in Indiana that relies too heavily on property taxes to finance too many layers of government. And that same Marion county was under the same court ordered reassessment as the rest of the State, rushed through hasty reappraisals heedless of the coming protests. As it is the sitting mayor lost his job and the smoke and mirrors governor seeks ways to kick the can down the road.

And the solutions offered are to finance property tax relief with regressive taxes that hit the poor disproportionately. I know quite a few people that live one county north of Marion county that saw their property taxes either go slightly down or stay stable. But those counties
did a slower and more careful job of reassessment.

Common Courtesy offers the rational solution, but politicians quite clearly never see it that way as they always seek to extort more money from that guy behind the tree rather than trim the size of government. Of course the other problem is that the wealthy have already fled Marion county and now they live in surrounding counties in bedroom communities. Leaving the larger city of Indianapolis as a now somewhat decaying city that can't finance itself. And the industrial base of Indianapolis are precisely those that benefit from the court ordered reassessment.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: BarneyFife
Local govt spending is not an easy thing to cut.

Are you going to lay off the police?

sell the parks?

leave detoriating roads and water mains until something bad happens?

Hey that's what Tulsa did but increased Govt spending of course.

 

[Lemon law]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: BarneyFife
Local govt spending is not an easy thing to cut.

Are you going to lay off the police?

sell the parks?

leave detoriating roads and water mains until something bad happens?

Hey that's what Tulsa did but increased Govt spending of course.

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Thats exactly what Bush's man Gov. Mitch McDaniels has been doing. Selling off State assets to the highest bidder. He already sold off the Indiana toll road in Northern Indiana. Before that
he, as a director, brokered the sale of an Indianapolis utility called IPALCO, and thereafter any stockholders lost a bundle as Mitch sold off his stock beforehand. And ole Mitch is privatizing all kinds of State services. I kind of think ole Mitch would sell the entire state of Indiana back to the Indians if he thought he could personally make a $1.50 on the deal.

 

[hellokeith]

Property taxes fund schools. How about stop giving free education & daycare to illegals/anchor babies? You do want to control spending, correct?

 

[BarneyFife]

Doubt there is a ton of illegal immigration in Indiana.

 

[heyheybooboo]

Indiana is the last state to finally use comparative real estate appraisal for property values - and was ordered by the court to do so

During this time approximately 35 individual taxing authorities were consolidated in Marion County. Massive consolidations into autonomous central gov'ts don't necessarily increase productivity and efficiency but in the case of Marion County clearly something had to be done.

While residential values increased 200-300% in some cases, some busness properties have not seen increases in 6 years.

The biggest problem I've seen in fast growing areas is when big development interests come in, option up a bunch of property, rezone all of it and drive the prices of other properties in the area up 800-1000% in a few years.

This is great for those who want to sell - not so great for those who don't.

And LOL @ hellokeith for blaming this on ""free education & daycare to illegals/anchor babies""

 

[Engineer]

Property tax in Kentucky, like other parts of the country, has skyrocketed right in line with property values over the last few years. However, that's not enough. Several hundred dollars (% wise) has been added to fund more public transportation and other items. I find it a bitch that my trash service, which costs a % of my household value (not how much trash I generate) has been cut while my taxes for it as went up. Fuck property taxes!

It's not about funding anything, it's about funding EVERYTHING and then wanting more! :|

Even the new Republican Mayor Newberry promised no new taxes and to cut spending and the first thing that was added is another fraction of a % to property taxes to fund stuff. Disgusting! :|

My tax bill will go from $1,400 per year in 2006 to $1,808 per year in 2007 to over $2,000 per year next year, and that's on top of now declining property values.

 

[dyn2nvu]

Good for them! A lot more people should protest these property taxes too.