Dear Editor:
I just received the 2010 FINAL/2011 PRELIMINARY TAX BILL and was surprised to see the taxes I am still paying on my house. I have been living in this property for the past five years. The property market value since then has vastly decreased and, while we struggle to maintain our individual households, it seems that the burden of the tax is looming on us, forcing us to make a decision to leave this town for greener pastures. I bought this property in Dec. 2005 for $640,000, and today its market value has plummeted to not more than $525,000. I know of some new buyers with the exact same property model/size who are paying less in taxes. Why is it that the taxes have not changed to reflect the change in market value? How so?
While the federal government is working through remediating the home owners’ issues to keep the economy stable, I am surprised that our local government has not taken measures to automatically re-assess the property taxes. It is similar when gas prices went to $4 a barrel and along with it the dry clean and groceries. The gas prices are now down to $3 today, but the dry clean and groceries increases stayed intact. I am not sure what simple rationale can I provide but to feel very irked by the whole situation. We as citizens should be depending on you, the local government we vote for to enact laws that are fair and provide legal provisions that treat them as such. Still, time runs by and we remain crouched in our spaces failing to enact justice. Why so?
Given your individual responsibilities and role in the government, can I trust you to ensure that the treatment in the community is fair and there is clear transparency of the process to all? Could you kindly advise how and when the property taxes for my house can be re-assessed to reflect its market value? And so for many others waiting for action. You have a chance to make a change in our day-to-day lives. I am going to depend on you to make this happen. If not, I will have to force myself to involve the community to take the appropriate legal channels to do so. You have the opportunity to bring a change in our personal lives by enacting change. Would you?
Manas Bairoliya