Our school district in NY had to have a 2 million $ bond issue to add more building due to "increasing enrollments". Spend that money on construction...enrollment went down not up. District can't even field a football team. (Even with the new athletic field that we had to have)

Can you have a local realtor or bank give you an assessment on your house? They tried to raise assessment on son's house a couple of years ago. We showed them a copy of the bank assessment and got a reduction.

 

Lottery $$$$ are supposed to go to schools here as well...never convince me that is happening.

The Greenfield schools suck!!!

Just paid my water bill recently...up 50% in the last 6 months. Since we used fewer cubic feet...I guess it went up more than 50%.

 

That's impossible...unless some other debt is being retired and the new schools are taking their place on the tax rolls. They don't build schools for no $$$$.

 

I can see that pissing people off. Here it is done by comparing your property to other similar properties based on recent sales, location etc.

 

No new taxes Ken. They are tearing down the old buildings and in the case of the one school they had to tear the old building down so they can build the new school.Oh and the county I live in hasnt raised taxes in over 25 years while still providing raises and the like to county employees. They have just been fiscally responsible.

 

Unheard of, Shaun. They are not doing their job properly. Have to send them to NY for training.

 

There's been homes here on the market for years and out of desperation the owner eventually sells it for 1/4 the proper value. It's great for someone who plans to spend the rest of their life here and pick up a cheap home and even if they do decide to leave later they haven't invested very much and in all likelihood recover what they purchased it for..

 

George it is true. Although the new county executive ( think mayor) might have to raise taxes a tiny bit in the coming years. Most of the counties in MD already tax income at 3.2%. The county I live in taxes around 2%.And the property taxes havent been raised in the same amount of time as well. And they have been on a spending spree just for the fire department. Alot of new engines, medics, trucks. And the police department is getting updated uniforms and they just bought 30 new police vehicles and will be buying about 225 of them in total. Oh and new side arms for the police department as well.Oh and I cant forget we pay about 48 dollars per quarter for water and sewer. And that went up about 5 dollars.

 

Years ago , in NY, the assessment was a based on a percentage of the selling price of a house. That got changed to "supposedly 100% evaluation", in the 1970's. My taxes actually went down.
One local assessor way under-valued his own home. When asked at a public meeting if he would sell the home for that amount..."no, it's worth way more than that".

 

I know how that is George. Our county property tax rate is $1.10 per $100 of assessed value. I was just looking and our school system budget is 1.65 Billion dollars.

 

Mine (Real Estate Tax) went up again too and I finally asked for a reassessment while I am here with whoever does it. Houses all around me have been sold to holding companies where they went in an remodeled.... now they are trying to say MY house will sell for what the new buyers bought these others for..... give me a break !!! Is it time for another revolution ?

 

That is one of the reasons why you should not be the assessor in the town that you own property in. The public will automatically think that you are giving yourself a break. A few directors that have been here stated that if you assess in the town you live in to assess your property to the higher end of what the comps are.

 

Shaun, that would make it $11.00 per thousand?

 

Pretty much Neil.

 

that's what they do here. Our comparables were ridiculous. That's part of my ammo when we go in for our hearing. Oh, and the fact that they have us at too many square feet in the house. White crap coming down now, should make the drive home fun.