Property Taxes

[Smiling JOe]

Why does our Property Appraiser have to determine the assessed values of the properties in Walton County PRIOR to the County Commissioners establishing a budget? Is this not as backwards as gov't gets? It is wrong, no matter how you spell it.

 

[scooterbug44]

They need to know how much money they have to spend before they allocate it.

 

[greenroomsurfer]

They have to budget in how much they are going to put in their own pocket! They also figure out how to waste money on unnecessary projects like equestrian parks etc. The 10 million dollar question is? How much is the finders fee for the county attorney.

 

[dsilvar]

There shouldn't be any corelation between budget and property taxes. Theoretically, you do the property assesments any time and set the milliage rate to fit the budget. The county should never have a surplus and it should take an act of congress to change the milliage rate!! Holds the bottom line on the budget.Thats the way were I came from.
County goverments are "nuts" here. Jack up property taxes every year and rake in the dough.. damn the budget. The budget IS whatever you can collect.

 

[BeachSiO2]

Interesting topic and here's my understanding of the process and since parts of it may be wrong, please feel free to point out errors. The property appraisers determine a value of a property based on the previous year's data of comparables. Therfore, they should be able to start as soon as the previous calendar year is over, right? By the way, the budget year is October-September.

As for County budgeting, the initial departmental budgets are submitted in May to the County finance office. This allows for departments to complete the first 6 months of their existing budget year to better quantify what has been done and how much it has cost, what will be done in the final 6 months, and what will need to be done in the following year's budget. This also allows time to have all of the budgets "scrubbed" by upper level County staff and presented in all neccesary workshops, and to all interested groups. One in particular is the Walton County Taxpayer's Association who goes through it very specifically and here is their website and their report card for 2006, they gave:
the Walton County BCC a B+
School Board an F
South Walton Fire Board a D-
South Walton Mosquito Control an A+

http://www.waltontaxpayers.org/

Does anybody wonder why the BCC got a B+? It is because they actually lowered the millage rate for another year in a row. They didn't jack up taxes. Property values and real estate sales in 2005 did that, and most likely property values and real estate sales will lower the individual appraised values in 2006. Should the yearly reductions be based on need, definitely, but I can tell you that essential services will be kept, but things like parks and recreation will be the first to go.

Also in regards to the scorecard, please note that from a services standpoint, Walton County schools continue to be highly rated and improve every year as has been pointed out in other threads. secondly, the previous fire chief for South Walton was so qualified that he was recently chosen to be the Fire Marshall for the whole state. Not to mention, I for one am grateful that we have that connection because it sure got the airplane in here quickly to put out the fire in Seagrove and many are quick to say buy a t-shirt to help them raise more money after the fires.

Another item that may be of a suprise to many, is that Walton County government has the third lowest millage rate in the state behind Monroe County and Okaloosa County. This begs the question of why not number one. Well, Monroe County accounts for their Sherrif's Department outside of the general budgeting so it's apples and oranges. As for Okaloosa County, they have five municipalities that collect taxes and help shoulder the costs of services. In Walton County, only Freeport and DFS collect taxes.

The take home message is get involved at budget time and make yourself heard. By the way, my property is not homesteaded either so I get hit like an out of town owner also.

 

[Smiling JOe]

I think you clearly state the process as I understand it. The Property Appraiser, Patrick, is required by law to calculate the assessed values of the property PRIOR to the BCC creating a budget. I don't care when the Property Appraiser does his work, as long as the County Budget is created prior to finding out the assessed value of the properties in WalCo. If the County would first determine the budget, then set the millage rate based on the Assessed Values, the millage rate would have dropped much less than one mill for the last two years.

As for 2006 Assessed Values, according to Patrick, he is required to base assessed values on sold comparibles. That sounds great, but what happens when there are no sales of comps? The law states that he cannot use anything but closed sales. As asking prices of real estate in many cases, have decreased, assessed values not going to decrease, unless the weighted average of the sold comps decreases. No sales = no change. It doesn't matter that the listing price has dropped 20-30% and that you couldn't sell it. Also, using their current system, appealing your assessed values doesn't really matter because the appeals are heard only after the County has set the budget, and they need every penny or they will be over budget. According to the Property Appraiser, zero of the 2005 appeals were changed.

 

[Busta Hustle]

most of the reason that the bcc lowered millage rates is because of the huge crowds that showed up at those final 2 meetings... go take a look at the vote and you will see which commissioners voted against lowering the millage rates...WCTA has done a magnificent job of explaing the numbers in actual cash increases to the county, since 2001 almost 300% increase.

When i hear about lowering taxes will mean a reduction in services i have to say, you (no one in particular) must be working for the county. Believe me you will not lose your job if millage rates are reduced.

Just about every new paved road in south walton was done by developers or neighborhood associations...each and every home that hooks up to utilities pays a multi thousand dollar impact fee. There are gas taxes, bed taxes, sin taxes...all on top of property taxes.

We are over taxed period...This should be an issue that every one agrees on...millage rates could be rolled back much more and there would still be an increase in the dollars collected...and do not count on a few lower sales in 2006 to lower your appraised property value.

 

[BeachSiO2]

I think you clearly state the process as I understand it. The Property Appraiser, Patrick, is required by law to calculate the assessed values of the property PRIOR to the BCC creating a budget. I don't care when the Property Appraiser does his work, as long as the County Budget is created prior to finding out the assessed value of the properties in WalCo. If the County would first determine the budget, then set the millage rate based on the Assessed Values, the millage rate would have dropped much less than one mill for the last two years.

As for 2006 Assessed Values, according to Patrick, he is required to base assessed values on sold comparibles. That sounds great, but what happens when there are no sales of comps? The law states that he cannot use anything but closed sales. As asking prices of real estate in many cases, have decreased, assessed values not going to decrease, unless the weighted average of the sold comps decreases. No sales = no change. It doesn't matter that the listing price has dropped 20-30% and that you couldn't sell it. Also, using their current system, appealing your assessed values doesn't really matter because the appeals are heard only after the County has set the budget, and they need every penny or they will be over budget. According to the Property Appraiser, zero of the 2005 appeals were changed.

All very good points. One item of note is that as of next week, we should have a one-acre lot in Point Washington that was assessed last year at $150k that sold for under a $100k so hopefully that will help some people out.;-)

 

[Smiling JOe]

All very good points. One item of note is that as of next week, we should have a one-acre lot in Point Washington that was assessed last year at $150k that sold for under a $100k so hopefully that will help some people out.;-)

I know the lot on Oak St, but the Property Appraiser throws the highs and lows out of his data when compiling the weighted average, so don't look for that low sale (which was an estate sale that was ongoing for over a year) to make a change in other comps in that area.

Edit: Actually, I might be mistaken regarding the particular lot. You might also be referring to the one toward the other end of the street which had less than 1/4 of wetlands. I'm not sure that a wetland sale of upland property of roughly 1/8 of an acre will be a justifiable comp.

 

[BeachSiO2]

most of the reason that the bcc lowered millage rates is because of the huge crowds that showed up at those final 2 meetings... go take a look at the vote and you will see which commissioners voted against lowering the millage rates...WCTA has done a magnificent job of explaing the numbers in actual cash increases to the county, since 2001 almost 300% increase.

When i hear about lowering taxes will mean a reduction in services i have to say, you (no one in particular) must be working for the county. Believe me you will not lose your job if millage rates are reduced.

Just about every new paved road in south walton was done by developers or neighborhood associations...each and every home that hooks up to utilities pays a multi thousand dollar impact fee. There are gas taxes, bed taxes, sin taxes...all on top of property taxes.

We are over taxed period...This should be an issue that every one agrees on...millage rates could be rolled back much more and there would still be an increase in the dollars collected...and do not count on a few lower sales in 2006 to lower your appraised property value.

I thought only one voted against the decrease (Brannon), and my understanding was that part of his concern was in regards to boat ramps/docks in his district being removed from the budget (these extra amentities being cut will be brought up again in a minute). Were there more commissioners? I also agree that in Walton County there will not be anyone losing jobs like other counties will see if the current House legislation goes through. that being said the County is currently in a hiring freeze and as pointed out in another thread, some departments don't have the manpower to do there jobs as quickly as some would like. In that specific case it is code enforcement.

I also agree that WCTA does a good job at explaining the numbers, and they also said that the current BCC deserved a B+ so that is an interesting sign and shows that the most active tax watching organization sees something is going right. The only one that got an A was mosquito control and with that new plane that has been the subject of other posts, who knows what will happen with them next year. That being said I also would not mind seeing my millage rate lower.

As for services being cut, the jury is out, and maybe services isn't the right word. It should be amentities which is why I pointed out parks and recreations (see boat ramp/docks earlier). This has direct bearing on some of the other posts in sowal regarding the desire for a community pool and playpark. We will know soon enough, but from experience when budgets are "scrubbed" the extra amentities usually decrease so that the non-developer roads throughout the entire county, not south walton, will continue to be paved. Keep in mind the south end still doesn't turn out to vote , and those in the north want their roads paved and maintained. Plus we only have 1 1/2 commissioners in the south end.

Like I said, get out and be heard and participate in the process. A good start is to work with the tax payers association as they are very involved.