Local Taxes - Augusta County, Virginia
They say all politics is local (was that Tip O'Neil?) and right now, mostly it is. We're fighting some fights at the state level. Some folks seem to think that with the new President they have a mandate to control people. At the local level, they seem to think that taxing people to death is financially responsible government.
You see, here in August County, we've come due for
re-assessment of real estate for tax purposes. Amazingly, in a time of deflationary pricing on real estate my mother's property has been assessed at half-again as much as previously or $314,000 as opposed to $214,000. This only 4 years after the last assessment. This in a time of the burst housing bubble, at a time when I was able to purchase property in the city at below the old assessment value, on very poor farm land good only for grazing and some small amount of hay production (on part of it) or some poor timber growing on very rocky ground. There is no place else on "the place" to put a dwelling. The land is what it is but it has been assessed as if one could sub-divide and build. So, Mom's taxes have risen by about $580 per year, or about 2 months social security payments.
The tax rate will have to be reduced from $.58 per hundred to about $.39 per hundred to avoid an actual tax increase. Given the value of services, there is no reason for a tax increase. Yes, there is an appeal process. Yes, I will be appealing. I don't hold out much hope for relief.
Already various members of the
Board of Supervisors have been whining about needing more revenue (money out of our pockets). Just doing their part to help the economy I guess. Following the great leader I suppose. In Staunton,
a recent reassessment of like consequence was likewise arrogantly treated with a
token decrease in the tax rate but the end result was a tax increase.
By the way, both Augusta County and the Staunton City Council has made up a
begger's list for the Governor and Federal government hoping to suck off some money from the "stimulus" package for all sorts of stuff we don't need if we can't afford it including tennis courts. Tennis courts!
Labels: AugustaCountyReassessment, Politics
