Budget meetings

[miznotebook]

Question - if the assessed value has dropped, isn't it possible that you could still be paying less than before - even if taxes are raised.

If the taxable value of the properties in the county as a whole has gone down since last year, the millage rate could be raised by a certain amount without the county taking in more taxes than last year.

 

[idlewind]

Question - if the assessed value has dropped, isn't it possible that you could still be paying less than before - even if taxes are raised.

If the taxable value of the properties in the county as a whole has gone down since last year, the millage rate could be raised by a certain amount without the county taking in more taxes than last year.

But many individual taxpayer's tax bill would increase, thus it is a tax increase for those individuals.

 

[scooterbug44]

Not necessarily - if I am paying "x" rate of taxes on a property assessed at "y" dollars it is not necessarily more than if I pay "x+w" rate of taxes on a property that is now assessed at ".75y".

It all depends. Amount xy could be greater or less than .75yx and .75wy.

 

[miznotebook]

But many individual taxpayer's tax bill would increase, thus it is a tax increase for those individuals.

Yes, if your individual property value has increased, your taxes would go up at the same millage rate or of course if the millage rate is raised. Also, if you are homesteaded, what is called the recapture rule comes into play in these years of decreasing market values. Your assessment value goes up yearly either by three percent or by the percentage change in the CPI from the previous year, whichever is less. This continues until the assessment value of the property equals the market value.

 

[wrobert]

Someone told me a democrat was running in Pridgen's race. That said the question we all must ask ourselves is what services we are willing to pay for. Police, fire, ambulances and roads are givens that the vast majority support. Past that we need to talk about.

Democrat already dropped out. Got until noon a week from Friday to see.

What I want to know is how in the world did we get $39 million in debt and when did that happen?

 

[wrobert]

You've mentioned this on two seperate threads. What is your source? (you don't actually have to tell me unless you really want to) At this point it is a little premature to be saying how a five member board is voting on something that hasn't been brought to them.
We are facing a budget crunch, so what are we willing to lose? Public Works, Planning/Development, Emergency Srevices?
Lets give some answers and not just complaints.

I am the source. If things stay as they are now, the millage will go to the roll back resulting in an approximate 14+% increase for those under homestead exemption, plus various recapture rate increases for many.

I came to this conclusion by stitching together statements made to me by various county commissioners in addition to historical actions and statements that they have made.

 

[idlewind]

I am the source. If things stay as they are now, the millage will go to the roll back resulting in an approximate 14+% increase for those under homestead exemption, plus various recapture rate increases for many.

I came to this conclusion by stitching together statements made to me by various county commissioners in addition to historical actions and statements that they have made.

Has the WCTA analyzed whether this increase is in fact needed? If not, is there a lobbying effort underway to stop it?

 

[choctawjesse]

Democrat already dropped out. Got until noon a week from Friday to see.

What I want to know is how in the world did we get $39 million in debt and when did that happen?

I thought Interested Girl had a candidate all lined up to run against Pridgen. What happened? If he has no opposition he has no reason to oppose the tax increase. Looks like the beachfront owners are going to get the double whammy: oil on the beach and higher taxes from the county. If they throw the employees a few dollars they will all be heros and you can watch out, the millage rate will be back a 6 before long. Thats called revenge for sunshine lawsuits. Be careful about bragging about making important people look bad.

 

[lazin&drinkin]

Idon't have a single "source" just alot of cafe talk among other places. That's why I asked, maybe someone in the know will tell.

After a meeting about 9 evenings ago, I met Mr. Pridgen on the way out and was party to a 3 way conversation in which he explicitly stated he would not vote for the rollback, that he would not for a tax increase, and that he never had voted for a tax increase. My first encounter with the gentleman.

I've not been a resident here long enough to know the histories of the county players, but Mr. Pridgen seemed a straight-forward and nice guy. As he at least at last opportunity did vote against a tax increase and as it is the expectation of others with much longer histories locally that he will vote against a rollback rate and will oppose a tax increase, I think I'll settle for trying to influence Ms. Commander and Ms. Jones as the other two likely votes against those pernicious possibilities. Both are said to be likely to do so.

 

[lazin&drinkin]

Has the WCTA analyzed whether this increase is in fact needed? If not, is there a lobbying effort underway to stop it?

The WCTA is actively involved in trying to get the BCC to recognize the plight of the taxpayers in today's economy and to hold the line on taxes at the least. Your assistance would be welcomed. If you're not a member, please join.

From a review of the auditor's report on county finances:
Revenues from 2000‐2009 plus 97%
Expenses from 2000‐2009 plus 134%
Population plus 43%
2000‐2009 School Enroll. plus 22%
2000‐2009 Assessed Values plus 214%
2000‐2009 Walton County School Board is County Largest employer‐1,096 up 33%
Walton County Total Government is # 2--897 Law Enforcement Officers--165 Up 136%
E911 Calls‐ 27,542 up 56%
E911 Call Fire/EMS 5296 DOWN 18%
# Registered Voters 37,105 up 32%

Current Walton County Revenue Resources:
Property Tax 47%
Gas Tax 4%
Sales Tax 16%
TDC Tax 9%
Other 1%
Miscell. 7%
Charges Services 3%
Op Grants/Contrib 9%
Cap.Grants/Contrib 4%

(Reserves).
a. Nonspendable $ 3,438,527
b. Restricted $ 28,280,511
c. Committed $ 6,010,894
d. Assigned $ 26,471,540
e. Unassigned $ 13,533491

Both ?d? and ?e? ($ 40,000,000) represent funds that could be made available to the County and to some degree ?c? funds could become ?un‐committed. However, at best, our total usable reserves are not much more then the bank debt we have created in recent years.


You may thank a couple of members of the WCTA for some long hard work reading and analyzing the 2 inch thick audit for these excerpts from their report to the WCTA. In the eveny you are reading this and are not a member of the WCTA, I'd urge you to join. Entry fee is nominal. The organization is a partisan for responsible stewardship of your tax dollars. While its individual members have a diverse set of political views, backgrounds and residences, the organization has that single focus. It exists for all the taxpayers of the county and has members residing on the beach, south of the bay, north of the bay, and out of state. It monitors and advocates for fiscally responsible government in Walton County. If you want to get the BCC to hold taxes down, join up, then show up at BCC meetings to let the commissioners know with your presence and your face to face voice what you want -- their vote against any tax increase.

For further information, WCTA Home Page.