It’s no surprise that there is great concern by many about the dramatic property assessment increases in the Atlanta area. This is a starting point for reform, but it’s not necessarily a bitter end of expected increase in tax cost.
State law requires assessments at true (100 percent) value, which has hardly ever been the actual result. In fact, it would seldom be the case that the property owner would be willing to sell at the valuation price.
Taxes are a way of life, but government has a responsibility to respect the reasonable expectations of its constituency.
I recall when then Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen told me (as then-President of the City Council) when counting all of our wall-hanging groundbreaking shovels, “It looks like we may have done too good of a job”. Don’t kill the goose that lays this golden egg.
Branding a place like Buckhead as “the address of choice” does generate growth; good civic marketing and good government management result in an increased tax digest, plus funding for expected services and maintained quality of life.
Thus it is not too unusual for assessments to slightly increase as we enjoy a sound economy. The amazingly large changes this time - - some at 50 percent or more, we’re told - - came about by an oversight of those responsible at the county level to make adjustments as the real values increased over the years.
It’s healthy that officials at city, county, and state levels are now speaking out as protections are being considered. Freezing assessments until other adjustments can be formulated; phasing in increases annually to ease the pain; placing a cap on the annual amount of adjustments can be levied, all are ideas on the table. In the meantime, it’s a good idea for those with unreasonable increases to appropriately file appeals.
In addition to finding a fair way to adjust assessments, now is also the time to turn our attention to the actual taxation - - reducing the millage rates charged by the city, the county, the board of education, and even perhaps the community improvement district. Hello, it’s Atlanta election time, so talk, write, e-mail, or otherwise communicate with those in office and those candidates who oppose them.
Of immediate interest could be exemptions such as those we already have on the annual tax bills, for basic homestead, for low-income aged, for disabled veterans, etc. Could this be the time to consider waivers of school tax for seniors as done in Cobb County and some other jurisdictions, or other reductions?
Regardless of what arrangements are made to correct this condition, I cannot overemphasize the importance of the 2017 Atlanta elections for mayor, City Council, and Board of Education. Now is the time to get informed and get involved, for we will be selecting the management in all disciplines for years to come, including cost of government!
Sam Massell is Buckhead Coalition president and a former Atlanta mayor.
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