BCC set millage rate at Last years rate

[Interested Girl]

You said another 79 years, implying that you are currently 79 years old. Just a month ago you were 72.

Perhaps Bob and Bob should keep notes on your age so these little errors will stop popping up.

Seeing as though you want to be a grammar teacher let me rephrase it this way "It is projected to take 79 years to pay off the debt created since January."

I am still 72 years old.
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[Matt J]

Seeing as though you want to be a grammar teacher let me rephrase it this way "It is projected to take 79 years to pay off the debt created since January."

I am still 72 years old.
Posted via Mobile Device

The funny part is that you aren't even 2 years old yet according to your join date. Isn't that when you were created?

 

[Busta Hustle]

There were around 9400 parcels with unpaid taxes this year. People who chose not to or could not afford property taxes. According to Fed reports Walton county leads the panhandle and most Florida counties in mortages that are more than 90 days past due. That number went up 4.15% in the forth quarter of 08 alone and are now almost 10%, about 1 out of every 10 residential mortgages in the county.

That is on top of the thousands of foreclosed properties since 2006 and thousands of short sale properties and thousands of sold properties where individuals absorbed millions of $$$ of wealth destruction.

Major condo developments along 30-A as well as 1000's of lots in development order approved "neighborhoods" are now bank owned.

Business revenues are down at least 20% according to Dept. of Revenue.

Maybe those who raise taxes do not know any of these property owners or business people.

 

[TooFarTampa]

An eye-opening story on this very issue was just posted by our local paper, describing how the six main local government entities in the Tampa Bay area increased their spending dramatically during the boom.

SoWal should get some allowances for population growth, of course, as well as infrastructure and building costs -- so it is harder to target a fair budget because SoWal is a quite different place than it was 10 years ago. But dramatic spending increases was a statewide disease.

We reviewed the financial ledgers of six regional governments ? Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties, and the cities of St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Tampa ? the main governments of Florida's bellwether region. The numbers paint a sobering picture. They show that from 2000 to 2007, the years of the real estate boom, local governments went on a shopping spree.

With the exception of Pasco, records show these governments used up tax dollars at rates that far outpaced growth and inflation combined. Pasco largely tracked both measures as its commission aggressively rolled back tax rates to offset swelling property values.

Hillsborough, whose commissioners regularly crow about their fiscal conservatism, grew at twice the rate of population and inflation. Year after year, they increased spending by double-digit percentages.

Leaders of the governments that spent the most will tell you they have simply responded to their residents' wants and needs. There's some truth to this.

For years, low taxes that lured retirees from other states also resulted in massive backlogs in road building and other infrastructure. Local governments were doing some catching up as Florida's real estate market caught fire.

Pinellas and Hillsborough both have a sales tax, shared with its cities, that voters approved years ago to build things like new parks, libraries, jails, fire stations and roads.

In Hillsborough, commissioners have committed much of the sales taxes they will collect through 2026 toward debt payments to build stuff now. The result has been a government building bonanza.

It's not totally applicable, but an interesting read:

How bay area governments blew the housing bubble - St. Petersburg Times

 

[Bob Wells]

There were around 9400 parcels with unpaid taxes this year. People who chose not to or could not afford property taxes. According to Fed reports Walton county leads the panhandle and most Florida counties in mortages that are more than 90 days past due. That number went up 4.15% in the forth quarter of 08 alone and are now almost 10%, about 1 out of every 10 residential mortgages in the county.

That is on top of the thousands of foreclosed properties since 2006 and thousands of short sale properties and thousands of sold properties where individuals absorbed millions of $$$ of wealth destruction.

Major condo developments along 30-A as well as 1000's of lots in development order approved "neighborhoods" are now bank owned.

Business revenues are down at least 20% according to Dept. of Revenue.

Maybe those who raise taxes do not know any of these property owners or business people.

Just curious, do you happen to know the number of primary residence vs second homes, homesteaded vs non homesteaded? Also wonder if short selling or returning the property to the bank was due to the value decreased.

 

[Busta Hustle]

State Dept. of Revenue/Property appraiser should have a compilation of data for foreclosed properties being homesteaded or not. Sorry I don't know.

loss of value, ridiculous purchase prices, resets on adjustable rate mortgages, high insurances and taxes, loss of income, lack of personal responsibility, being broke, etc. probably all contibute to an individual walking away and letting a bank agree to a short sale. ???? Anyway it's the old lose lose situation.

 

[Bob Wells]

I just think its a personal responsibility issue. I can afford what I bought and sometimes it can be tough but I am doing what I can to honor my obligations, it just disappoints me that many homes are second homes. My mom lives in St Pete area and she shared a story about a neighbor buying a property and then when she lost $100k in value she just allowed it to be foreclosed on. Not that she couldn't afford it she just couldn't flip it at a profit.

 

[Andy A]

Does anyone ever remember what is posted on this board? A good month ago, Ronnie Bell addressed the SWCC and said he had be told in no uncertain terms not to increase the millage for the county this year. To work it out and find cuts elsewhere. The county did just that. Some need to start giving them credit for looking for solutions other than raising taxes and keeping their word, something extremely rare in today's governments.

 

[Busta Hustle]

SWFD Ad Valorm Taxes

1998 $ 1,969,916.00
1999 $ 2,354,274.00
2000 $ 2,655,299.00
2001 $ 3,129,681.00
2002 $ 3,745,893.00
2003 $ 4,576,041.00
2004 $ 5,845,037.00
2005 $ 9,664,162.00
2006 $ 12,387,109.00

Between 1998 and 2006 SWFD

Ad Valorem Taxes Increased By +528.18 %

Population Growth +47.69% ​

WCTA has never promoted a reduction in the level of service ​

Those numbers are stagering. Those guys in 1998 who could deliver the same services to the county for 10 million less $$$ were true heros. Using those numbers and adding a 50% increase for population growth today's SWFD should be able to deliver the same services for $3 million. I would be willing to listen to their request for every $$$ over that amount.
And when you look at the BCC $30,000,000 ought to be enough to deliver their same level of service.

 

[NotDeadYet]

When it comes to the SWFD, the population increase is not the relevant figure. More relevant would be the increase in the number of dwelling units, the summer occupancy figures, the number of calls they answer annually, the increase in traffic crashes, commercial fire alarm calls, the addition of beach flags and life guards, etc. Figures that reflect the actual increase in level of required services are the figures that should be looked at. Because SoWal is a beach community with a large transient population, the percentage increase of permanent population does not adequately reflect the increased demand for SWFD services.
And isn't that population figure increase countywide? If so, that makes it even more meaningless when considering SWFD's budget needs.
I am in no way suggesting we should give SWFD or any other taxing entity a pass, but if we are going to look at their budgets, let's look with an open mind and get all the facts first.