Tweaking of the property tax system by the General Assembly won't be enough. It needs to be overhauled. A court-ordered reassessment in 2002 turned the process for local financing of public services on its head.
Do not assume that reassessment and its hurtful consequences are a one-time headache and that things will return to normal next year.
Hardly. Between the high numbers of assessment appeals being reported, the difficulty that many people will have in paying taxes, and the fact that "trending" a property value updating process mandated by state law, the headache is here to stay.
Governor Daniels criticized the number of boards in Indiana whose members are unelected but still have the ability to raise taxes. He stated. "no one is in charge" and "they [local government] match your pocket book to their spending, and it should be the other way," pointing to the fact that local government set their budgets, which later become the levies which are paid for through our property taxes.
Source: Louisville Courier Journal
Freedom of Speech feels considering the fiscal irresponsibility of both political parties have consigned us, and the lack of knowledge most taxpayers have through no fault of their own, the bottom line is that we could do no worse than what has unfolded, and if anything, would have exercised some fiscal restraint, since most of us have to balance our checkbook on what little we have.
The Poor and Fixed income folks need security plus relief.
This really is not about taxes alone, but being secure in our homes and property from which some earn meager living, and our homesteads are not to be treated as if they are "disposable" property owned by the government instead of the life and security they represent to those who live on them.
We have no problem with those that make good, better, or great money from "Honest Labor or Investments." Some of these business people and citizens have become successful through hard work and right choices.
No property owner should have to pay for local government mistakes.
Local government needs to be accountable to YOU the taxpayers!
There are several ways to CUT New Albany's Residential Property Taxes:
* Let New Construction carry their share of the tax burden. New Construction does not pay additional property taxes for approximately two years. They only pay property taxes on the land.
* Increase Building Permit fees, water & sewer tap on fees, design/enforce Developers and Development License Fees
* Review and enforce the fees that should be paid to the city
* Use Economic Development Income Taxes (EDIT) to fund projects to help save our Property Tax General Fund money
* Reduce the number of TAX ABATEMENT'S allowed
* Rescind some of the TIF Districts. (The original promise was that the TIF Districts would be rescinded after their Bond was paid off. This would allow new tax money collected to go into the General Fund and lower our property taxes)
Freedom of Speech believes the best agenda is the one that is right for all the people and protects the poor, middle class and the working class among us.
We as a community must stand together and decide the difference between a WANT and a NEED.
IT'S TIME TO PUT TAXPAYER'S NEEDS FIRST!
Freedom of Speech is non-partisan, as we are all in the same boat when it comes to transparency in taxation and accountability of local government spending!
