Gwinnett.talk

By BobG

November 14, 2007 10:11 AM | Link to this

If taxing authorities (cities, counties, school boards) were simply required to do the math correctly, increases in the Net Tax Digest would automatically result in a lower millage (tax) rate— as long as the politicians held the cost of government in check.

A flaw in Georgia`s property tax law allows your elected officials to adopt any tax rate they can get away with— regardless of how much money the government actually needs to operate.

Politicians don’t want to correct this flaw because doing so would focus the taxpayers’ attention on their refusal to control expenditures. State legislators have refused to consider this, despite the fact that correcting the problem would result in an immediate tax cut for property owners across the state and promote honesty and transparency in the tax process.

For more information, visit MillageRate.com.

By Michael H. Smith

November 14, 2007 10:29 AM | Link to this

That’s fluff Mr. Connell: Fluff has been around since she was a kitten and now she is a full grown cat.

The county and those most responsible for governing it have been lying through their teeth. No one is buying this garbage on the Stromwater Fee either, when most everyone knows homeowners will be paying for past development ills, poor planning and a resistance to update building codes and ordnances concurrent to changing conditions and technology available to avoid problems rather than to create dilemmas.

With the economic down turn under way, a housing slump (slow development), a drought and rising energy cost, the citizens have a choice to make: How many services do we really need or want and how much are we ready and willing to pay for those services?

Enough of this spin, here, I’ll say it for you Mr. Connell. The county will have to raise property taxes.

By BobG

November 14, 2007 11:05 AM | Link to this

Michael, you sure read more into Connells comments than I did! Actually, I do not know what the purpose of the blog entry was in the first place-- it's not like Connell said anything newsworthy or even mildly interesting. Reassessments are alwayspainful,` especially when the process has been neglected for a few years, as was usually the case before automation made revaluation more uniform.

But revaluations do not necessarily result in a tax increase. If the taxing authority is doing the math, the millage (tax) rate comes down as the Net Tax Digest grows… as long as the cost of government does not grow at a faster pace than does the Net Tax Digest.

It may interest you to know that the county has actually UNDER-taxed for the past few years and proposes to do so again in 2008. The practice requires dipping into reserves, which can begin a downward spiral to financial ruin. Gwinnett has received considerable return on the investment of its reserve funds— that’s NON-tax revenue. But as reserves are depleted, interest income decreases, resulting in greater pressure to either identify other non-tax revenue sources, cut costs or raise taxes.

It will take aggressive leadership to end the deepening financial crisis, but it can be done. With next year being an election year, however, I do not hold out much hope. Perhaps Bannister and Green should declare an election-year truce on this issue; adversaries or not, they are both still Commissioners and have a responsibility to the people to respond to the crisis.

By Michael H. Smith

November 14, 2007 11:51 AM | Link to this

The tax digest or the tax base that has depended on “growth” is no longer growing Bob. This is not rocket science. Cut services or raise taxes. There really is nothing else to read.

By Bonedaddy

November 14, 2007 1:03 PM | Link to this

User pays for parks and libraries. These are nice to haves, not necessities. I have never been to a park or library, however do not oppose them as long as I AM NOT TAXED TO PAY FOR THEM. Stone Mountain charges for those to use it, so should county parks and libraries. I am sick of being taxed to death over services I do not and will not use. On another note, I pay taxes on 6 pieces of property and send my child to private school, a voucher or rebate would be nice.

By Duluth Redneck

November 14, 2007 5:29 PM | Link to this

I am sure that there is money being wasted. When I, as a taxpayer, can go and look at the expenditures and question them, then I will gladly pay any taxes asked.

I do not see and goverment bodies cutting back on expenses like is being done in the private sector. I have not even looked and I can see ways for Gwinnett and Duluth to save money.

They DO NOT have a free hand with my cash