Be aware that if you increase the cap on assessment increases while
lowering the tax rate slightly, most of us in Charles Village will have
our property taxes go up rather than down. The exceptions will be
commercial properties (including rental properties) and properties that
change hands.
A number of those who wrote the report are connected to the realty
industry. Low caps on assessment increases and higher tax rates benefit
long term resident homeowners but hurt those who move in and therefore
those who sell houses to them. They have the effect of reducing selling
prices of houses (which has no effect on those of us who do not sell our
houses). For example, someone buying my house (not for sale) would pay
about $333 per month more in real estate taxes when the full
reassessment is in effect, but would have the same mortgage (including
escrow) payment if the selling price were reduced by a little bit more
than $50K. So one can see why the realtors would want higher caps and
slightly lower rates.
Another part of the report is about how much the tax rate can be cut if
we have casino gambling in Baltimore. Given the support given by Sheila
Dixon to passing the gambling referendum in November, is that a big
surprise? Do we want to lower our tax rate by creating a casino in
South Baltimore despite all the problems including increases crime that
more gambling will create?
Other proposals are to institute a local or regional sales tax (another
1% on top of the 6% that takes effect today, although the preliminary
report speaks of 5% and must have been written before the special
session of the Legislature), or to raise the piggy-back local income
tax. A sales tax is regressive; the income tax proposal may have merit.
In short, the devil is in the details, and the details overall strike me
as more negative than positive. While real estate taxes based on
assessed values have their disadvantages, the low caps on assessment
increases seem to me to be less of an evil than the proposed
alternatives. They allow long term homeowners to keep their homes
affordable without being driven out because their neighborhoods become
desirable to outsiders.
Steve.
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Maybe I'm being too optimistic, but the panel is a pretty serious
group, so what that says to me is either
a) the Mayor wanted to appear for election purposes like she was
serious about cutting the property tax rate, or
b) the Mayor really is serious about cutting the property tax rate and
wanted to build a political consensus and some momentum for
accomplishing that.
If the answer were a, then they probably would have had the report
come out before the election rather than afterwards.
I guess time will tell...
-Matthew
-----Original Message-----
From: jberlin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: The Charles Village Chat List <chat@charlesvillage.info>
Sent: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 11:03 am
Subject: Re: [Chat] [Discussion] Fw: [I-NEIGHBORS] Property Tax
Assessments - Mayor's Blue Ribbon Panel Report
I can proudly say I did not vote for any of them, except Mary Pat.
Judy
On Jan 3, 2008, at 10:19 AM, John Spurrier wrote:
> Brad,
>
> Thanks for posting this report. Given the makeup of the Blue Ribbon
> Panel you would
> think that someone would have proofread the charts and tables. When
I > see headings
> that read "Medium Income" and "Medium House Price" I know that our >
city government
> is in the hands of idiots. It is hard to give this report any real >
credibility.
>
> John
>
>
>
>
>> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> To: ; ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>;
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; >>
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; >>
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; >>
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; >>
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 01:41:05 -0500
>> Subject: [Discussion] Fw: [I-NEIGHBORS] Property Tax Assessments -
>> Mayor's Blue Ribbon Panel Report
>>
>> FYI
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Andrew Timleck
>> To: Brad Schlegel
>> Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 6:17 PM
>> Subject: Re: [I-NEIGHBORS] Property Tax Assessments - Mayor's Blue
>> Ribbon Panel Report
>>
>> I’m sure you’ve seen this? Has it been circulated on
Wavebell/Better >> Waverly/EGLS, etc.?
>>
>> http://www.baltimorecity.gov/mayor/blue_ribbon/downloads/>>
Blue%20Ribbon%20Committee%20Report%20FINAL%20DRAFT%2012_20_07.pdf
>>
>> Andy
>>
>>
>> On 1/2/08 5:21 PM, "Schlegel, William B CW4 RES USAR USARC" >>
<[EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>>
wrote:
>>
>>> Andy,
>>>
>>> first there are no "Million dollar houses" in CV. Most sell for
>>> under 400K. Tweefie can vouch for that. the main issue is that
>>> some assessments are more than the FMV of the prioperty today.
Also >>> that the assessments are more than 10% higher than the
previious >>> ones. The value for land tripled on many properties.
There are >>> other messages on the EGLS list which might add some
more flavor. I >>> just wanted to share information - not start a
debate.
>>>
>>> Happy New Year.
>>>
>>> Brad
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2008 5:53 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [Discussion] Assessment gouging, and other tax >>>
nightmares.
>>>
>>> Im not sure what difference it makes, but I bet the estimation is
>>> probably pretty accurate.
>>> I have seen pictures of the houses on my street from when
Greenmount >>> Ave was a field.
>>> So, I tend to think the 100 year old label is right.
>>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>> Christine
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
>>
>
> Get the power of Windows + Web with the new Windows Live. Get it
now! > _______________________________________________
> Chat mailing list
> Chat@charlesvillage.info <mailto:Chat@charlesvillage.info>
> http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info
> archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/=
_______________________________________________
Chat mailing list
Chat@charlesvillage.info <mailto:Chat@charlesvillage.info>
http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info
archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/
------------------------------------------------------------------------
More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail
<http://o.aolcdn.com/cdn.webmail.aol.com/mailtour/aol/en-us/text.htm?ncid=aolcmp00050000000003>!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________
Discussion mailing list
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/discussion_charlesvillage.info
_______________________________________________
Chat mailing list
Chat@charlesvillage.info
http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info
archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/
