Reminder - Property Tax Reassessment Meeting Tonight

HOT OFF THE PRESS - Tax Revolt synopsis by D-Bell

I just received this synopsis and attached article ("Tax Revolt") that was forwarded by D-Bell:

From 14 August, "Davis Clipper", "Tax Revolt", report by Melinda Williams,

Synopsis:

"Truth-in-taxation" meeting, Farmington, mostly senior citizens attended. One said perhaps because younger taxpayers were working overtime or second jobs to pay for their milk and taxes.

Dec., Davis County Commission passed a $7 million tax increase for its 07 budget of $87 million. D-Bell's comments in italics and bold font; (Why does Weber County have a 100+ million dollar budget?)

Many residents were adamant their houses couldn't sell for what the assessed valuation is.

"Some of those attending threatened to vote the commissioners out at the next election if they didn't do something about the spiraling tax hikes, and others said things will reach a point where taxpayers will form a grass roots movement to pass a Proposition 14-type initiative."

- Bountiful City council member Moss said it was unfair that residents saw a 40 percent increase in property tax, while the rest of the county saw a 20 percent increase, with no increase to commercial and industrial land.

Suggestion to commissioners - they roll back property values to last year's. Barring that he suggested property taxes in the other cities be brought up so the tax rate will do down.

(Bountiful saw a 40% increase...and they are upset. What about the Ogden Valley and Huntsville in particular? At more than 100%? After further review of Huntsville resident's property assessments, there are at minimum 59 out of 245 parcels looked at which are simply preposterous. Vacant lots claimed as a primary residence, 1.5 acre lot with a tumble down cider block shed as a primary residence, commercial properties as a primary residences and un-reassessed, many vacation and vacant homes all claimed as primary residences to get the 45% discount rate, creative land parceling to evade taxes, inappropriate claims of argi. FAA land on .3 acre parcels, GROSS assessment disparities between very similar homes, .75 acre lots with wild gyrations in assessed values, the list goes on and on. This has prompted several residents to ask if the assessor's have been drug tested...seriously. A thorough and competent audit and reassessment is definitely in order! And if Huntsville Town is a valid sample of the effectiveness with which the County Assessor did her job the entire County needs a redo. After State Tax Commission training and drug testing of course...) There are no doubt several within the assessor's office who are competent and honorable people...they just apparently did not work much on the Huntsville Town assessments apparently.

Throw out the baby and the bath water and start all over again this time doing it in the proper order and with the correct assumptions. Obviously no true valuations can be made out of thin air with no "comps" valid and no sufficient sales data for Hutnsville Town. This clearly required. D-Bell

That’s all for now, have a great week.