The Peoria Times-Observer is reporting that a bunch of North Peoria residents are “upset with the practices of the Peoria County Board of Review” and may file a lawsuit. Among those upset are realtors Michael Maloof and Brian Monge and county board member Bob Baietto.
One member of the group, who requested to be anonymous, said it appears the only way to affect change is a lawsuit.
“What it comes down to is politics,” he said. “I was incredibly naive. I thought we could win this by going through channels and giving them proof. I was wrong. We need to make noise. We need to find more people who are mad.”
The remaining members of the group agreed. A consensus was reached that efforts now need to concentrate on finding an attorney who can advise the group on what grounds they can use to sue.
Of course, the politics runs both ways. Some members of the county board attempted to resolve the situation by removing two Board of Review members: Gary Shadid and Nancy Horton. Having failed in that attempt, they’re now looking at a possible lawsuit.
But here’s my question: Have they indeed gone through all the channels, as was implied? Or have they only gone as far as the local Board of Review? According to a state publication called “The Illinois Property Tax System,” there are a couple of ways to appeal the decision of the local Board of Review:
- The decision may be appealed (in writing) to the Property Tax Appeal Board, a five-member board appointed by the governor. The Property Tax Appeal Board will determine the correct assessment based on equity and the weight of the evidence. Taxes must be paid pending the outcome of the appeal.
- The taxes can be paid under protest and the county board of review’s decision can be appealed directly to the circuit court by filing a tax objection complaint. Taxes and levies are presumed to be correct and legal, but this presumption can be rebutted. The taxpayer must provide clear and convincing evidence.
If the Board of Review’s actions are so unfair, then it should be a cinch to get them overturned on appeal. A large number of successful appeals could then be used as evidence of the local Board of Review’s alleged poor decisions and presented to the full County Board for appropriate action. On the other hand, if the decisions are upheld on appeal, then the local Board of Review will be exonerated.
Bottom line, the complainants should follow the appeals process, not resort to political and/or legal strong-arm tactics to force the Board of Review to render decisions in their favor.
I would say there is a serious conflict of interest on the part of people who are actively engaged in the profession of buying and selling of real estate (realtors), who purportedly own substantial rental property, who then are fighting to reduce property taxes.
Why is it a “serious conflict of interest” to want lower taxes? Get a life mahkno, I guess in your eyes I should just hand over the rent check to the county. I would expect that line of thinking from kcdad but did not expect it from you. Everyone has the right to a FAIR tax bill, single homeowner or mega landlord.
CJ – there is much more to this story and to fully understand it you should have recently attended at least one tax committee meeting at the County board.
There are many more players than “a few Realtors” and the complaints go beyond unfair assessments.
Appealing individual assessments to the State is a remedy in some cases but there are limitations to that option. State appeals are very much back logged and do not address the root of the problem which many feel is 1. a lack of autonomy between the B of R and the Supervisor of Assessments 2. a lack of transparency regarding the appointment procedures of members to the Board of Review and 3. Is the county board or its members unduly politically influenced and/or are there attempts to guide the B of R into keeping Assessments high?
My own experiences with state governing bodies has not been good. They are often a larger, clumsier clone of the local body and their cozy relationships with each other are born of a normal human desire towards job security. At least that has been our experience with the Illinois State board of Education but, hey, who knows, perhaps the State Appeal Board has escaped the scourge of corrupt Illinois politics.
From my perspective I haven’t seen any of the “strong arm tactics” of which you speak. I have only observed taxpayers exercising their inaliable rights. Your use of that term baffles me, CJ. Some may consider the use of blogs a “strong arm tactic”. Or maybe “strong-arming” is reserved exclusively for those whom we disagree.
Regardless, this is a good post. The more people who are aware of these issues and engaged the better.
Always remember folks, increasing the “value” of a property is how the government increases taxes without creating the appearance of increasing taxes. Come election time, politicians like to brag about how they never voted for a tax increase. They don’t have to. The assessors do it for them.
If I were to sit down and create a system of collecting taxes that let politicians avoid scrutiny, it would be very similar to this.
Billy gets it.
And someone please explain to me the convoluted logic the government uses to decide that the county’s total EAV is increasing even though housing costs are in the dump? Not only is the system fundamentally corrupt, it’s particularly unexplainable how it is practiced in Peoria County.
But local governments want the money to play with, so they keep the system the way it is and deny something is wrong.
http://peoriapundit.com/blogpeoria/?s=%22property+taxes%22+levy+assessor
CJ
Your comment about sales price in the Observer was right on. California assessment chases sales price on individual properties and their property tax system is a mess, broke and totally unfair. It sounds like these people do have a beef about the way they were treated at the Board of Review. I have heard some got there assessment raised by the Board of Review after they had their hearing. Why? Was it too low or was the B/R bullying? But if their complaint had merit(evidence) an appeal to the State would reduce the assessment. But the other part of the issue with property tax complaints sounds like some people didn’t get what they wanted so now they want to throw a law suit at it to get what they wanted without going through proper procedures.
a lot of us have gone through the proper procedures. But when a house is bought for $x and then assessed at $3x (which I own a house with that story) and you show that it was one the market for 3 years at a higher price and then finally sold and then lose the appeal (the hearing for which *cannot* be rescheduled whether you’re in town or not) and have only a short time to file with springfield which then costs more time….
The tax system is a farce, and horribly unjust, and needs to change. I don’t know about the lawsuit, but I can tell you that the system stinks, and needs to be fixed and that unless the county does it, there should be rebellion.
So they get to set the value. They get to decide the appeal (no independent review). They get to decide that if you’re out of town on the date scheduled that’s just not their problem. They get to come steal your property if you try to protest by not paying. And remember that the protestor has to take vacation time and personal time and expense to fight this injustice, while those who are denying justice are paid a nice salary in the process.
Yeah. That’s what our founders bled and died for.
I’m with Billy. And when property values are going up, that’s one thing. But they’re not anymore, and it’s not just to expect people to pay for services when the county and city didn’t plan ahead for rainy days.
It’s not just realtors. It’s people who want fair tax rates and fair assessments.
Diane said the root issue is:
What evidence is there for these allegations? Is it nothing more than, “I appealed my tax assessment and the Board of Review didn’t lower it”? Thus, it must be a conspiracy?
By the way, I understand Billy and James being upset about high taxes, but why are you? Didn’t you just advocate and vote for higher taxes for the county a couple months ago? Now all of a sudden you think the taxes are too high? Huh. 😉
Billy says:
Housing costs are in the dump? Not according to the Peoria Area Association of Realtors. Let’s see, I have here a Journal Star article from Feb. 17, 2008, that says, “While 2007 home values dropped nationally, they went up here, according to the Peoria Area Association of Realtors. The national median sale price for 2007 was $218,000, down from $221,900 the previous year. Peoria’s median sales price for last year was $115,000, up from $110,000 in 2006.” And then there’s this from March 22, 2009: “What’s more, though actual sales declined, the median price has not, said Pat McCarthy, president of the Peoria Association of Realtors. The median home price went up $1,000 from 2007 to 2008, according to the association.”
All reports appear to be that housing costs are actually increasing here in Peoria. And given that, coupled with the new subdivisions that have been developed in the county over the past few years, it should come as no surprise that total EAV has risen. Then again, maybe PAAR is in on the conspiracy with the Board of Review, the Assessor, and the State.
James Lansberry says:
Well, the voters of Illinois had a chance to make some big changes via a constitutional convention (I’m quite certain that is something the founders of this country would have favored), but they voted it down. So, I guess the system we have is the one the people want.
Also, Diane, you shouldn’t be mad because you got your assessment lowered by Gary Shadid. Just show the others how you did it.
C.J.: The issue of whether property tax assessments are fair or unfair is an issue that is separate from whether or not a tax was assessed for the museum project. Certainly you understand that? A tax assessment that is three times what is ought to be is certainly something to be more upset about then the increase to to the museum tax (which I opposed, as you well know).
Actually, C.J., the reports you cite show that the NUMBER of sales are declining, yet almost every block I pass has a for-sales sing on it. People are trying to sell and they aren’t getting the price they want.
The best that can be said from any report you cite is from three months ago, saying the median price from the PREVIOUS year went up just $1,000.
See that number: $1,000. Some of these folks are claiming their homes are being re-assessed and double and triple their previous assessments.
I was chatting with a landlord today (not my landlord, mind you). He is buying homes now because he is getting low prices. Anecdotal evidence, I know. But I am hearing this a lot.
What evidence is there for these allegations? Is it nothing more than, “I appealed my tax assessment and the Board of Review didn’t lower it”? Thus, it must be a conspiracy?
No, CJ, the allegations are much more specific than that. I am not willing or able to argue their case, but if there is a lawsuit you will have your question answered by way of these pesky little things called “evidence” and “testimony”. Why are you so quick to dismiss them anyway? Aren’t you a founding member of Citizens for Responsible Spending? Is the mission of the CRS so narrow that they care only about how tax money is spent but not a wit about how fairly it is collected? So as not to offend Karrie I will answer my own question with an “of course not!”
Lastly, every time you suggest that anyone who supported the regional museum is FOR wasteful government spending and in this case overtaxation, in my opinion you impugn your own argument no matter how valid it may be.
michael, I don’t believe in personal taxes at all. I think all taxation should be as the constitution allows on PROFITS FROM CORPORATE ACTIVITY only.
Since C.J. tossed a smiley onto that comment, I suppose it’s meanth to be tongue in cheek. Nevertheless … It’s still unfair to see everything through his opposition to that vote.the lens of that one tax.
Sailman, I have and I do. In addition to writing regular blog posts about real estate taxation, I write a letter to the editor of the PJStar every year to remind people when the tax appeal window is upon us. I have also held seminars regarding same at RE/MAX. One year we brought in professional tax appealer Bob McQuellom. But sometimes they just have to listen to me, or Tim Johnson, friend and fellow agent. 😉
http://peoriarocks.blogspot.com/2007/09/real-estate-taxes-too-high-speak-now-or.html
http://peoriarocks.blogspot.com/2007/09/peoria-twp-real-estate-tax-appeal.html
Billy, I noticed that too. So as long as you put a smiley next to it, I guess you can say whatever you want.
Try it –
You are such a jerk 😉
Shut the **** up 😉
That’s a bunch of sh** 😉
I’m just funning you, CJ. The smiley after this sentence is meant to be sincere 😉
Sorry for the triple post. Just noticed CJ’s use of PAAR statistics. You know there are lies, damn lies and statistics.
I am always wary when the “median home sale price” is used for argument, because median means very little. I’ve blogged about that here:
http://peoriarocks.blogspot.com/2008/05/national-association-of-realtors-median.html
If you want a quick snap shot of what is happening in today’s real estate market you can go to this site and do your own calculations.
http://www.paarealtors.com/newsroom_details.asp?Heading=SFS
For instance, if you look at the month of May, 2009, and compare it to the Month of May, 2008, you will see that the average sales price went from $149,560 in 2008 (with 540 units sold) to an average sales price of $135,095 in 2009 (and 391 units being sold). That is down any way you cut it.
Billdiane — Just to confirm your suspicions: the comment about the museum tax was indeed a joke, as indicated by the smiley. I thought it was pretty obvious that it wasn’t a serious comment given its irrelevance….
So now assessments should be based on asking prices for homes rather than selling prices?
Yes, and the tax bills we’re talking about are for the PREVIOUS year as well. In 2009, we pay the taxes for 2008, so last year’s median price change is relevant.
The key words are “some” and “claiming.” It sounds like a pretty small group to me, and all the evidence thus far is anecdotal.
So, in the meantime, we’re just supposed to take your word for it that there’s a conspiracy?
The burden of proof is on them to show that there are improprieties in the Assessor’s office. Should I just believe every allegation hurled at the Board of Review, without any corroborating evidence?
Interesting. So, when PAAR quotes the change in median price as an indicator of how good the market is here in Peoria, that’s all a big sham, eh? The truth is that the housing market is in the tank, but they’re just trying to put a positive spin on it, so they trot out this meaningless statistic? Okay then.
That would be irrelevant because we’re talking about 2008’s tax bill, not 2009’s. You’re not taxed on what your house is worth *this* year, but what it was worth *last* year.
[blockquote]test[/blockquote]
FAIL!
😉
“billdiane” — so we’re like one person now? Don’t tell John.
And suddenly expressing the belief that government employees and appointees want to collect as much taxes as possible is comparable to expressing a belief that the Illuminati is pulling the strings. Gotcha.
:rolling eyes:
Would that be like “Brangelina” or “Benniffer”? Hah!
Ah, the old “vocal minority” smackdown. How do you know they only have anecdotal evidence? Have you talked to any of them? I would encourage you also to FOIA the tapes of the last few tax committee meetings. You would see not only the diversity and number of complainants, but the nature of the charges.
Absolutely not. I would expect you to do your own investigation. Some blogger on Peoriarocks! told me several weeks ago that he didn’t think I adequately investigated the other side of a post I did. Can’t remember who that was…. hmmmmm…..
CJ – they have offered corroborating evidence. Take your fingers out of your ears stop humming and open your eyes.
PAAR like any organization needs to be mindful of how they present their stats to the public and they understand this. That is why they clearly post the data on their website. In addition, Pat McCarthy current PAAR Association President and co-worker will confirm that I don’t hesitate for one minute weighing in with an opinion that may be alternative to PAAR’s official position. Shocker I know.
This may be a good point. However, every time I have sat in on a Board of Review hearing all comparables to date have been considered. So in theory, you may (although I’m not sure) be right, in practice that would not be the case. The task according to my understanding has always been to determine *current fair market value*.
I find the information I heard at a recent Peoria County Facilities Committee meeting to be concerning. Namely that the Bel-Wood bond would be sized for thirty (30)years on a projected 3% increase in the EAV each year for the next thirty (30) years. That option seems risky to this taxpayer.
Would someone please work out the compounding on that proposed figure!
Diane: You cannot offend me nor anyone else. A person can only take offense if that person decides to take offense! 🙂
Tucker
writes aren’t missing the point, you encourage that 250 million more in bonds, now peoria is absolutely desparate for money becuase they won’t do layoffs, then the chances of fairness are vary poor then
new airport
new musuem
new walkway
new hotel
new library
bankrupt district 150
resturants paid for by the city
= desparate need to raise real estate tax money
how about a comment about city leader own finances are in mess too like the city
my house isn’t as nice as the one around the corner and they paid less taxes unfair hmmm
“This may be a good point. However, every time I have sat in on a Board of Review hearing all comparables to date have been considered. So in theory, you may (although I’m not sure) be right, in practice that would not be the case. The task according to my understanding has always been to determine *current fair market value*.”
Diane’s correct, sort of. We levy in December for expenses we budget to spend in January going forward. The assessments are proceeding (I would note, at the TOWNSHIP level, NOT the county level) up until early spring. The levy distribution is balanced upon the most current value of eav against current year expenses and finalized sometime in March or so. Your current tax bill is largely last year’s value (or the average of the last three, actually) applied to your proportional share of this year’s governmental expenses.
“That is down any way you cut it.”
yes, even to the number of listings, as in, 2009 listing were 20% lower than 2008 listings. Not a huge matter, but consistent with your evaluation of statistics, diane. 🙂
Diane: The only thing that works is to take combine with first part of your name and the second part of my name: “Dilly.”
Diane — Thanks for the link to PAAR’s stats. I downloaded all the reports and put the average sale prices for each month from 2005 to 2008 into a spreadsheet. Then I averaged those sales prices for each year. Guess what? The average sales price increased every year:
2005: $130,866
2006: $134,647
2007: $137,877
2008: $140,064
Isn’t that interesting?
OF course my house is worth more every year, I keep pouring money into it every month… it better.
CJ You are so clever. No surprise, given the nature of much of our discussion on blogs. Now put your thinking cap on again. Think hard. Think real hard. What are the possible causitive factors for that trend? C’mon you can do it.
“OF course my house is worth more every year”
Unless you have real estate agents actively trying to push prices down in your area.
Why would a Real Estate agent actively try to push prices down? You have got to be kidding me! They work on commission for God’s sake. They want to sell your home for as much as possible. Just because your home isn’t selling, doesn’t mean you can blame Real Estate Agents. It means you had it over priced or put too much money into it for your area. The public decides what homes are worth, because they ultimately have the say over what they are willing to pay.
CJ:
An additional factor here. I attended the PCB meeting recently in protest with many others.
A while later, I received my tax bills. After I received the bill, I contacted someone who specializes in writing appeals (I’m on the road quite a bit and have little time to deal with this–all while trying to earn enough to pay the over priced taxes), and he said the dates were past for filing, that you file an appeal on the *Assessed Value*, not on the tax bill.
So, since the assessed value hadn’t changed from the one I appealed last year, I got no notice of change, therefore missed the deadline.
The whole system is set up to keep people from having the right to appeal, and if this was a private business doing it everyone would be up in arms, but since it’s the government we just take it.
I am tired of getting nickled and dimed with taxes to pay high salaries (public sector employees make much more than the average private sector employee) and benefits packages. There needs to be a way to protect the interests of the taxpayers from short, unreschedulable appeals dealines. The burden of proof here, CJ, rests on the County Assessors–not on the public. We can show what houses were sold for and that is *PUBLIC RECORD*. If they’re going to use some other criteria than sales price (you know, MARKET VALUE) to determine “market value” then THEY should prove it, not the already overburdened taxpayer.
kcdad: Were you trying to be funny?
OF course my house is worth more every year, I keep pouring money into it every month… it better.
Isn’t your house worth more because your money is worth less (worthless)? Since the Fed has papered the world with greenbacks — your house’s value has actually plummented.
Diane — So, these numbers are lying to us, too, eh? You said we couldn’t trust the median price, and should look at the average price. Now that the average price shows an increase, you imply we can’t trust the average price either. I have to give you credit; you don’t let the facts get in the way of your beliefs.
Also, you asked, “How do you know they only have anecdotal evidence? Have you talked to any of them?” Only one of them — you. Or so I thought. But given your wording, it sounds like you perhaps don’t consider yourself one of “them.” So maybe I’m asking the wrong person about the evidence. If so, then I’ll concede that I haven’t talked to those on the “other side” of the issue; but in my defense, I thought I was by talking to you.
James — It’s getting a little confusing because there are two arguments going on here as far as I can tell. Diane is arguing that the county assessor and the board of review are conspiring together to defraud taxpayers — in other words, the tax system is okay, but is being illegally manipulated locally. You, on the other hand, are arguing that the assessor and board of review are acting lawfully enough, but that the tax system itself is fundamentally unfair because it puts the burden of proof on the taxpayer to show that an assessment is incorrect. I would be more inclined to agree with your argument. From reading up on the issue, the deck is indisputably stacked against the property owner/taxpayer when it comes to challenging an assessment. What do you think is the best way to affect change to the system?
CJ:
funny answer first (though it’s partly serious):
Set up the system so that at any time a taxpayer can force the county to buy his house at the assessed value, no questions asked, if the appeal fails or the adjustment is still in question. Heck, make it 85% of the assessed value, so the county can turn around and hire a realtor and still make some money since it’s going to *certainly* be able to sell it at 100% or more, right?
While that’s mostly funny, it would certainly fix the system pretty quickly.
I read once of a country where citizens set their own “market value” for property (wish I could remember what it was) but that the gov’t could buy that house at that price any time. That would be the reverse of the same principle.
Best way?
Council member X once in a conversation with me (oh-ok, last time I quoted a council member here I inadvertantly casted doubt on the reputation of a council member, so my memory may be faulty so I’m not naming a name) talked about land value assessment for taxation purposes. Change the tax rates (they’d have to go up siginificanltly) but tax on the value of the lot, nothing else. That would solve some of the zoning/code enforcement issues by removing the perverse incentive to make your house look like it’s worth less than it is as a bonus, and give people an incentive to improve on the property because it wouldn’t raise their taxes. Might fix some of the bad landlord issues in the process as well. And it might encourage more of the wealthier folk to move back into the city, though without school reform I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one.
I like that process much better–find it more equitable in general. Either of the above would solve the problem and keep the valuation from being overly politicized. And everyone on the same street would pay (assuming for a moment relatively equal lot sizes) about the same in taxes, which makes complete sense to me.
(All of this presupposes that you mean “affect change in the system” without totally redoing the system, because as I’ve stated elsewhere I don’t think property owners should have to foot the bill for schools if they don’t have children in the system, etc. That kind of change is a little more drastic.)
CJ, you need to keep in mind the purposes of this discussion, which is a discussion of determining a FMV of a property. PAAR statistics include an entire market area of Peoria, Dunlap, East Peoria, Bartonville, Chillicothe, Henry, Germantown, Metamora, Springbay, Washington, East Peoria, Creve Couer, Morton, Tremont, Groveland,
continued… Deer Creek, Hopedale, Mackinaw, Minier, Lacon, Lowpoint, Minonk, Roanoke, Washburn, Congerville, El Paso, Eureka, Goodfield, Secor, Pekin,Marquette Heights, Gr Valley, Manito, Delavan, For. City, Topeka, San Jose, Havana Chandelerville, Emden, some Bloomington, other Illinois, Canton, and Wee-ma-tuk.
So although the stats can give an indication of the overhealth of the real estate market in Central Illinois, it is useless when it comes to evaluating market changes of one particular property or neighborhood.
I don’t recall us ever having a conversation about this topic. Maybe we did, but I don’t recall it. Also, please don’t make your incorrect assumptions my problem.
CJ – I specifically said I am not willing or able to make their case. I am not a lawyer judge or jury. It is not my place to make a determination of what the outcome may be of legal action against the county. Actually, its not yours either. My only point has been that in my opinion you have been unfairly marginalizing them without bothering to gather the facts, and for some reason you feel they are exempt from a basic right of redress.
You get the last word. It seems the more I try to be logical the more illogically you leap so I’m over and out. Off to Steamboat…
Diane,
You are so right about the cumbersome government but governement can move quickly if you get the “right” legislators and the power structure on your side on your side.
Look how fast the “facility tax” measure moved in Springfield to get it on the April ballot. By the way, I hear the Museum Committee may be short as much as $19 million. Don’t be surprised to see “bailout” from our elected representative. The sales tax kicks in Jan. 1, 2010, no matter. It was a “facility tax” voted in, not a “museum” tax.
Karrie, 3% EAV for 30 years would make a home “fair” valued today at $150,000, have a market value of around a million dollars in approximately 2042. Of course that is not true because new more expensive homes would hopefully be continuously built as Dianne was hinting at at and then finally saying that median price including those out north and in Tazewell and Woodford.
Drive out Allen Road north and turn into Augusta Estates. 8 out of the first 9 EXPENSIVE houses are for sale and only one new home under construction.
Plus the hyped gated community is now “gateless”
Look for news in the JS tommorow about the condition the county has “suddenly” found themselves in. Maybe out of cash in near future years.
Hmmmmmmmm??
Sorry, again for mispelling “government”, maybe more words, and duplicating three words.
Also, Karrie is right about not much interest in the building of Bel-Wood (often mispelled) when the property tax paying community ought to be.
Our adminstrator is emphasizing that the county has the money to “build” it. He has never mentioned at any meeting I’ve attended that the cost of the bond will total $62 to $80 million over thirty years and that Bel-Wood will be supported by property taxes (almost 3 million last year) and by the continued transfer of other BW operating costs to other County Funds. Two tranfers when I was present and supported, a total of $800,000. I have no record of supporting the now more than a million dollars a year which started in 2004 and other operating costs picked up a couple of years later.
I’ve asked several times for documentation of where the full board approved that the county would pay BW’s retirement, FICA, Social Security and other benefits so these amounts, last year over $1.2 million, would NOT appear on BW’s operating statements as an expense.
Still waiting.
Eric, correct me if I’m wrong.
James: I’m in favor of land value taxation.
Diane: Well, I think logic would dictate that you don’t use stats to prove your point, then call those exact same stats “useless” in the debate when your opponent uses them against your argument.
Nevertheless, let’s leave at this: If there is corruption in the county assessor’s office or the board of review, I hope it’s uncovered and remedied. Power to the people.
Both the County and the City are facing deficits which seem to be expanding the red waters beyond projected borders.
Now — in looking at Thursday’s (25 June), 3pm, Peoria County’s Finance and Legislative Committee bullet list received yesterday (19 June)….
3:00 P.M.
Finance/Legislative Study Committee
Resolutions:
• Agreement-Retention of Riverfront Museum Project Manager
What can the County be thinking about here? Hiring more personnel (perhaps in 2010 or whenever it is decided which year or years) when they are looking to cut personnel because of a $4M deficit this year and who knows what in 2010 and beyond? Lakeview’s RDA expired with COP 31 May and CAT’s portion is soon to be expire on 30 June.
Who knew ….. that taxpayers would need to hire a ‘new’ project manager? It was the general impression that current Peoria County staff would be taking care of that project for the taxpayers.
Yes, it’s insanity in local goverance still plays in Peoria.
Maybe they mentored under Ken Hinton 😉
“I’m in favor of land value taxation.”
Really? So… we can treat all land as ‘farmland’ with a valuation… oh lets throw out a number of say… $4000 an acre. If nothing that is built on, in, or around it matters.. thus what it is used for doesn’t really matter, then it’s just like ‘farmland’ right? Flat tax it in a way right? All acreage is assessed and taxed the same, divorced from actual market valuation?
Mahkno — I’ve written about this before here: “Land Value Taxation: a fairer tax system?” (8/31/2007). I don’t think your explanation is accurate. The county already puts a value on land separately from the improvements on that land. All that would change under land value taxation is that those two values would be taxed at different rates — with the land being taxed more heavily than the improvements. So no, it’s not a flat tax. It’s also nothing at all like farmland valuation, which is based on the economic value of crops the soil can produce.
Karrie and Diane,
you’re both wrong, AND, you both know you can call me to discuss. but you don’t. never once. instead, you come on cj’s blog and throw darts.
more so karrie than diane. and diane, you know better than to hit below the belt. karrie, you and i have personally discussed the county’s approach to managing the budget and i believe you to have been complimentary.
my phone number is 495-4859, i welcome your calls and you know that. i would hope you would be above the petty misinformation that is often characteristic of citizen journalism.
i am not the enemy, nor are the hard working people who try their best to serve you. if you want a clear view, call. we’re not ghosts hiding behind some door, we’re people trying to find our best way forward.
Erik, what are you talking about? My debate with CJ over the tax appeal board? I didn’t know you had anything to do with that.
If you are talking about the mentoring under Hinton that was just a funny (although a lame one) thrown in for good measure. It seems logical that the Riverfront Museum would need a project manager. (See Peoria Pundits post)
How will you make up for the loss in tax dollars from a land tax? Commercial values account for 35-40% of the assessed value, as well as, property tax revenue in the county, with only about 10% of the overall parcels count. Most commercial properties are in low market value areas, so they will see about an 60-85% drop in their taxes. You will have to make up for this huge drop in revenue by raising the tax rate 3-5 times what it is now? It sounds like the only one’s who will benefit will be high value properties. Also, how are you going to spur development in the high crime south end and norh end where you can’t give the land away? Maybe this why there are not more areas considering this, it may work in certain areas of the country but not all.