[Vision2020] candidate questionnaire--responses

[Mark Solomon]

Donovan,

You've made a mistake quite common in the discussion of assessed 
valuation and property taxes. While they are definitely related, 
raising assessed valuation (which is required by law to be at market 
value: read about what's been going on in Bonner County...) does not 
automatically raise property taxes. Taxes are based on a local 
governing district's budget levy, set after public hearing by locally 
elected officials, and restricted, by law, to not go up more than 3% 
annually. For clarity: it is the levy rate that can not rise more 
than 3%, not budgets.

So, yes, an individual's property taxes could rise significantly IF:

the assessed valuation in a neighborhood or taxing district rose due 
to market values generally increasing; AND
the taxing district (city, county, library, highway, school, etc or 
any combination thereof) raised its levy rate the full 3% allowed by 
law.

Practically speaking, it's the school district, followed distantly by 
the county and the city that make up the bulk of our local property 
taxes. Bonds such as the one for the Moscow Aquatic Center, approved 
by the voters for public infrastructure, are the other major property 
tax component. The City relies primarily on user fees (water, sewer, 
etc) for funding city government.

Mark

At 3:55 PM -0700 8/17/06, Donovan Arnold wrote:
>This assessor question is built on a false premise. Property values 
>are not based on real market values, and thank God they are not, 
>otherwise people would be paying about 4x as much in taxes. 
>Properties are more assessed based on what the expenditures of the 
>city/county are and the value of a home( about 1/2 real market value 
>- 50% for property owners on their first home). Local governments 
>can only raise their budgets 5% a year, not counting the school 
>district which is separate, so they couldn't legally raise it to 
>market value anyway, well, at least not and be within state law.
>
>Best,
>
>_DJA
>
>
>
>Bruce Livingston <livi at turbonet.com> wrote:
>
>I am fine with both of these questions. BDL
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Art Deco"
>To: "Chasuk" ; "Jennifer McFarland"
>
>Cc: "Bill London" ; "Bruce Livingston"
>; "Donovan Arnold" ;
>"Barrett Schroeder" ; "Vision 2020"
>
>Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 8:32 AM
>Subject: Re: candidate questionnaire--responses
>
>
>>  Perhaps we still need work.
>>
>>  In deference to Bruce's suggestion of a general question for the "minor"
>>  candidates, perhaps a very specific one for each office might be in order:
>>
>>  Examples:
>>
>>  Assessor candidates: What procedures should be followed to insure that
>>  the assessed value of all properties is as close as possible to their real
>>  market value?
>>
>>  Coroner candidates: What procedures should be followed in the event of an
>>  unattended death or a death where there is even some slight probability of
>>  criminal activity?
>>
>>  Asking specific office related questions may provide a better insight into
>>  a candidates viability.
>>
>>  W.
>>  ----- Original Message -----
>>  From: "Chasuk"
>>  To: "Jennifer McFarland"
>>  Cc: "Bill London" ; "Bruce Livingston"
>>  ; "Donovan Arnold" ;
>>  "Barrett Schroeder" ; "Art Deco aka W. Fox"
>>
>>  Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2006 10:54 PM
>>  Subject: Re: candidate questionnaire--responses
>>
>>
>>>  On 8/15/06, Jennifer McFarland wrote:
>>>
>>>>  If we're all part of a committee to decide which questions to ask,
>>>>  shouldn't
>>>>  we all have input into which people are asked questions as well?
>>>
>>>  Barrett has indicated that he doesn't consider himself a member of
>>>  this committee, so that excludes him, but I suggest that we take an
>>>  "aye" or "nay" vote on this matter to get it out of the way.
>>>
>>>  Since it is my suggestion, I'll start the ball rolling. I don't
>  >> really care what a coroner's opinion is about anything. I care that
>>>  he performs his job professionally, and I cannot personally conceive
>>>  of any questions that I might ask that would help me make that
>>>  determination.
>>>
>>>  Of course, maybe we should split this into two issues:
>>>
>>>  1. Are you happy with Bill London's list of candidates?
>>>
>>>  2. Are you happy with Bill London's proposed questions?
>>>
>>>  I vote "aye" in both instances.
>>>
>>>  Everyone else, please respond ONLY this divisive issue.
>>>
>>>  Cheers,
>>>
>>>  Chas
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
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><http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=41244/*http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/r-index> 
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