Property taxes rising nationwide

C.L.O.U.T. Citizens Lowering Our Unfair Taxes ^ | Ron Scherer

[alienken]

Property taxes rising nationwide By Ron Scherer | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor NEW YORK - While fuel prices may be starting to skid, there's another expense closer to home that is upsetting many Americans: rising property taxes.

From Madison, Wis., to Bucks County, Pa., the local tax assessor is dipping deeper into homeowners' pockets as real estate prices rise and states share less of their tax revenue with local governments.

With people starting to receive their 2005 tax bills, the levies are squeezing the middle class and senior citizens - leaving them less to spend on everything from restaurants to roof repair. There is also concern the taxes could particularly hurt the home-buying chances of the young or civil servants such as firefighters. States such as New Jersey now have grass-roots efforts - verging on revolts - for reform.

"There is a property tax crisis," says Myron Orfield, a property tax expert at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. "It's especially bad in states like New Jersey, Ohio, Connecticut, and Illinois, which are property-tax dependent."

Part of the problem lies in demographics and the rapid growth of exurban communities. Young couples who can't afford suburban homes have moved to "edge" communities further from the cities. Those are filled with children, and to educate them the communities have to jack up property taxes to build new schools and hire teachers.

"The property tax system accelerates the sprawl," Mr. Orfield says, "and communities are competing for the few [taxable] businesses."

The changing demographics have combined with an unusual economic phenomenon: home prices climbing at double-digit rates in some areas. This would make homeowners happy, except that an increasing number of communities are now assessing property values every year.

[lewislynn]

I take it prop. 13 is a good thing *LOL*

Better than good. It locks the property tax at 1% of the "assesed" value and the assesed value is always less than the actual value.

One of my properties recently appraised for $300,000...my property taxes are (and have been for awhile) $1400 a yr.

There was a time in the early 90's when property values were depressed and the tax actually went down.

[yooper]

Well, don't feel bad. I'm paying about $3,500 per year on a house valued at about $200,000. And in a remote area at that with fairly high poverty. My property taxes before former Governor Engler passed property tax "reform" would have been about $7,000. I wasn't living in this house then, and I couldn't have afforded to. It's to the point now that I'm looking to leave the City limits. Absolutely nuts.

[hondo]

Yooper, let your City and County Commissioners know your opinion. I understand that comes with a price tag.

[hondo]

I quote:

"Government does not exist for the benefit of those who work for it; it exists for the benefit of those who pay its bills or need its services. Governments that employ more people than necessary, or that pay their employees more than their market will bear, are not doing any favors for the citizens -including the poor- who are picking up the tab."

The benefits that government employees receive are not in line with the private sector (health insurance without employee match(& payments in-lieu of), retirement, vacation, holiday... Many local government employees receive 13+ holiday's a year. The private sector could not affort that.

The tax increases are not necessary. Fiscal restraint of government is what is necessary. Last week on television I saw one box that survived the Boston Tea Party. Man, are we long overdue for another.

In Michigan the taxpayers will soon feel an extra hit when the "shift & shaft" is implemented.

[yooper]

Hi Dave!

The County Commisioners are beyond hope, and I may have a slight problem complaining to the City!

Things may be changing at the county level; Earl retained his chairmanship by only one vote, 4-3, over Don. I also am hearing well-founded rumors that Earl may be facing a recall and that it is being pushed by Don and Debbie.

Also, I don't know if Murph told you, but Earl got pasted by Don in one of the County meeting minutes, which you should know how to find. Earl wanted to go into closed session to discuss the circumstances of your leaving, but Don put Earl's butt in the frying pan by saying that would be a violation of the open meetings act, so Earl made some recorded statements that IMO bordered on slander. You and your attorney might want to check that out.

Hope all is well with you and the family. Say hi for me and let me know if there is anything I can do for you up here (check on your house, etc).

Best regards....

Yooper

[patton]

My existing mortgage payment just jumped $300/month, due to increased property taxes.

That is huge, even by my standards. At any other point in my life, I probably would have been forced to sell the house.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

This has never been a problem for me for a few reasons:

a. TheMidwest is not a "desireable" place to live for some unknown reason, though it's d@mn beautiful and has all the amenities a person could want, plus tons of lakes, streams, forests, shoreline and quiet meadows and hills to climb. Our property values don't boom and bust as they do in other parts of the USA. But please don't move here, LOL!

b. I've never bought more home than I could afford, and always factored in ALL costs of home ownership from a new roof, a replacement for the furnace, increased property taxes, etc. If you can't figure this stuff out, then just rent or live in your mother's basement until you're 40. Home ownership is not for wimps. ;)

c. I've bought and sold four homes now in the Midwest. Real Estate, as an investment, has always been berry, berry good to me. :)