Posted on 08/11/2003 2:37:08 PM PDT by JustPiper
CHICAGO, 4:04 p.m. CDT August 11, 2003 - Some residents of the Edgewater neighborhood and Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn assembled in Daley Plaza Monday to protest escalating property taxes in the community on Chicago's north lakefront. More than 20 homeowners attended the lunchtime rally, waiving placards reading "Taxed to Death" and "Hello High Taxes, Goodbye Economic Diversity and Affordable Housing" and called for reform of Cook County's property-tax system.
Claire Tobin, executive director of the Edgewater Community Council, said her group has helped more than 700 property owners file appeals with the Cook County assessors office as a result of assessed property value increases of as much as 400 percent. Fueling the increases in property values, several protestors said, was higher sales prices of properties as the community becomes more desirable to home buyers.
"We are close to the lake, close to Lake Shore Drive, and a lot of people want to live here," said Ana Paz, who said her tax bill doubled this year. "But we have a lot of senior citizens that can't afford higher taxes. They're pushing people out of the neighborhood."
If her appeal does not substantially drop her tax bill, Paz said she would have to sell and move elsewhere,
Tobin, who organized the rally, said longtime residents want to keep their homes, not realize higher home values.
"The property sales have increased, but the people who have been in the neighborhood for years are paying higher taxes," Tobin said. She added that assessment values should be based on the sale price of an individual home and adjusted to reflect the rate of inflation, not prices of surrounding properties.
Steven Foster said he was appealing a leap in the assessment of his 16-unit rental building in the 5700 block of North Winthrop Avenue from $70,000 to $297,000. The increase would push his yearly tax bill to about $80,000 and would force him to sell because he could not increase rents enough to cover the difference.
"What would you do if I quadrupled your rent?" Foster asked rhetorically.
Quinn, who came to the protest saying he wished to lend support, said property taxes are unfair as they are, because they are not based on ability to pay the way income taxes are.
"It's an idea that goes back to biblical times," the lieutenant governor said. "Taxes ought to be based on ability to pay."
Quinn also said Cook County should pass a "whistleblower" law that would allow taxpayers to "ferret out" waste in county government, which he said was partly to blame for high taxes.
When asked if homeowners should be pleased by increases in the value of their properties because they could sell for large profits, Quinn replied that people would have to leave the community, damaging its social fabric.
"We don't want people to move out of the neighborhood," Quinn said. "They have a stake in the neighborhood and its institutions."
Maura Kownacki, a spokeswoman for Cook County Assessor James Houlihan, did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment Monday afternoon.
Kownacki confirmed more than 700 appeals were filed by Edgewater residents seeking reductions in their property assessments.
"The one thing people should know is we have a very open appeals process," Kownacki said. "Anyone who feels they are being over-assessed is encouraged to appeal." She added that the assessments are based on fair market value of properties, which is substantially measured by sales prices of similar properties.
"The job of the assessor is to reflect what is going on in the market," Kownacki said. "The problem is, the system is broken. There is a very big over-reliance on property taxes in Cook County."
She said most property-tax dollars go to schools, and she believed state sales and income taxes need to play a larger role in funding education.
"The system is broken," Kownacki said.
Yup, Cook County wants up to 5% of the market value of the property every year. The tax bill would have been equal to half or more of the mortgage.
"It's an idea that goes back to biblical times," the lieutenant governor said. "Taxes ought to be based on ability to pay."
From each according to his ability, to each according to his need ??? Where have we heard THAT before ? (Hint: with THAT Marx, the duck does NOT come down and pay you a hundred dollars. . . .)
OTOH, money-hungry states and municipalities all too often look to raise taxes, aka "revenue" first, and look for cuts and unnecessary services last. . .
This is what is wrong with people, not gov't. Idiots allow the gov't to steal from them.
Not enough people ever seem willing to tell these cities and towns to go pound sand especially in the smaller towns.
When the town dries up because people are forced to leave because they can not afford to live, something needs to be done, and probably with pitchforks!
"What would you do if I quadrupled your rent?" Foster asked rhetorically.
California's Proposition 13 was a product of apartment owners in LA facing the same dilemma, along with homeowners. Some retired people were paying more in property tax, per mo., than was their mortgage. The tax collector became predatory.
You all back East can call California crazy, but we passed Prop 13, and now we' re gonna fire the governor.
Socialists hate democracy.
This is not good public policy in tax assessment. To use a ballooning market to reassess existing owners out of their property is confiscatory and immoral. It should be illegal. The reassessment should occur when the property is sold and the "Market Value" is actually realized, not upon the speculation of the bureaucracy.
Senior citizens are normally allowed a tax exemption on their principle residence. Isn't that the case in this district?
Bump that!.....
There is truth in that. But how much "rent" you're going to pay the government landlord, is a function of the ballot box.
"It's an idea that goes back to biblical times," the lieutenant governor said. "Taxes ought to be based on ability to pay."
WTF???!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.