A letter from Pima County Tax Assessor Bill Staples, signed by 14 other Arizona Assessors was published in the June 24 Explorer.
Many of us blame the Assessor when our Property Tax bill is too high. Here's an example of why the issue belongs in the lap of our State Legislatures----not the County Assessors.
If interested, following is an amended version of the bill, still not approved.
http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/1r/adopted/s.1036burns.pdf
Here is the letter. It might be time to speak out if we agree with Mr. Staples.
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Assessors want a public debate on tax proposal
As elected officials on the front line of the property tax issue, we need to bring to the public's attention one of most important tax policy changes in recent history.
In Senate Bill 1036, a companion bill to the state's budget, the Arizona Legislature is proposing to redistribute a substantial portion of the current tax burden from commercial and vacant land property owners and place it on residential property owners for voter-approved bonds and overrides.
Simply put, every homeowner will have a tax increase and nearly every business will have a tax decrease for all future bonds and overrides against the status quo.
Every year, thousands of Arizonans interact with their locally elected county assessors and their staffs and struggle to understand our quarter-century old valuation structure. How do we look these taxpayers in the eye and explain this tax shift?
We believe a public debate needs to occur. It appears no public discussion was held on the topic at the legislature and the ramifications are only now coming to light. It really does not matter whether you support the proposed change or you support the status quo, how are the citizens of Arizona suppose to participate in a debate that never happened?
We, the elected assessors of all counties in Arizona, both Republicans and Democrats, asked the new leadership in the Legislature to form a group to examine the property tax structure and were told to wait for an appropriate time. We are still waiting and hoping such a group will be formed soon. The entire property tax system needs to be examined in its entirety.
Transparency in government has been a buzzword used by politicians for decades. This has resonated from the President of the United States to leaders of the Arizona Legislature.
Therefore, if the Arizona Legislature believes this major tax policy change is the right thing to do, then they ought to have the courage to have an open public discussion on the subject. The citizens of this great state deserve no less.
Signed,
Bill Staples, Pima County assessor, And 14 other Arizona county assessors
7 comments:
Well, well, well - it seems as if our legislators are continuing on their path of 'catering' to business entities without regard for the fact that individual spendable income will decrease because of it. Along side of this bill, SB 1036, lies SB 1035, another 'buddy bill' which contains a moratorium on impact fees to builders/developers for a 3 year period leaving it up to the private taxpayer to fund those services affected by their projects (read the 'Guest Opinion' in today's AZ Star).
Quite frankly I don't get it. These Legislators and 'friends' think that by alleviating tax and impact responsibilities away from
businesses, that these acts will be an impetus for businesses to start, to continue, and to grow. HELLO - IF I, AN INDIVIDUAL CITIZEN, HAVE BEEN LEFT WITH NO MONEY TO SPEND BECAUSE IT IS ALL GOING TO INCREASED TAXES, HOW DO YOU EXPECT BUSINESSES TO SUCCEED IF THEY 'CAN'T RAKE IT IN'? Plus, if, as some in our government think, that by doing such it will improve the climate for businesses here, those people need to have their heads examined (and/or need to be voted out).These people are trashing Arizona. In the past, they have tried all sorts of other selfish means to 'improve' this State and the composition of it's municipalities. Instead, they have been and are continuing to kill it. There has been plenty of time to find and implement a direction for Arizona. Instead, as a result of reckless growth, we have one of the highest foreclosure rates in the Country, one of the highest amounts of available houses (relative) for sale in the Country, one of the highest depreciation of real property in the Country, one of the lowest attractions for a job force in the Country, etc. - and still, these 'leaders' go merrily on their way.
IT HAS GOT TO STOP! AND, IT IS WE, THE PEOPLE, WHO MUST STAND UP!
For anyone interested, this is a link to the Az Star "Guest Opinion" alluded to by Zev.
http://www.azstarnet.com/opinion/298214
I hope that if SB passes and local government can not collect impact fees, then it is up to our council members, county supes, and other cities, towns and counties NOT to approve any more developments until the moratorium is lifted.
Oops, I meant SB 1035.
Endthehandouts - oh,if were only that easy......
I would suggest to each and all that you flood the AZ Legislature AND the Governor with letters/e-mails voicing your opposition to both of these bills, the 'guts' of which are easily attainable on the internet; it takes someone pretty dense not to get it that the money vacuum would have to come from somewhere, that if exemptions and adjustments are granted to businesses, developers, and builders, allowing them shed past allowable obligations necessary for municipal operation, then this burden can only be placed on the shoulders of the individual taxpayer.
In the past 4 years our HOA's have risen (mine and others I'm sure), utilities have risen (all of them), property taxes have risen, other 'taxes' have risen and, as in the cast of Tucson especially, there is more to come. As to income, because of the devaluation of retirement accounts, increased deductions out of Social Security, and other factors, my income along with MANY others has gone DOWN.
And, once again, our brilliant 'guardians', as they have done with 'sales tax sharing' and other EDA gimmicks are at it once again' trying to 'assist' their business friends to 'make mo' money' by implementing nefarious actions utilizing 'back door' politics.
As a former retailer, having opened and run my own businesses in the past and having assisted others in doing so, too, I will state emphatically that if a business cannot succeed by doing business then it has no business being in business. We, the lone taxpayers, shouldn't have to be subsidizing them.
WILL IT COME TO THE POINT WHERE WE WILL NEED A TAXPAYER REVOLT? WILL IT COME TO THE POINT WHERE WE WILL HAVE TO OVERTHROW THESE BILLS BY EXPENSIVE REFERENDUMS? WILL IT COME TO THE POINT WHERE WE WILL HAVE TO ORGANIZE RECALL ELECTIONS?
HMMMMMM!
Maybe a Tea Party hosted in OV is in order. We have a great big piece of public land, the Naranja Town Site as the ideal location.
The invited honorees: Our elected Senate and House Representatives.
Lamb Chop,
It may have to come to something like that.
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