Taxes

What do you think? Good idea or another major hit to our schools? Can we actually make up this reduction through other taxes?

http://www.news4jax.com/news/15620395/detail.html

I've GOT to get on this kind of commitee. They only meet once every 20 years.

 Mike Heemer

Bloggers! I mentioned in reply to another thread that I have decided to try to read the hodge podge of Boortz bologna regarding his latest lunatic embracement of the so called Fair Tax. I have skimmed a few pages. Most telling is the Q & A at the end of the book. It raises many red flags. I assume it was put at the end of the book working on the assumption that anyone reading it would be too bored to tears before finishing it. But, to be fair (haha) I will be attempting to fit it into my mountain of books on hand. The minor problem I have is there appears to be three books out now on the whole scam. So, I will be reading whatever the library has on hand. If anyone knowledgeable has a preference for one of the entities over another, please let me know.

"This afternoon the House has approved two additional provisions in their Policy and Budget Council.  The first provision would apply an assessment cap of 3% to all properties in Florida.  That means that Commercial and non-Homestead properties would enjoy the same assessment cap as Homestead properties - they would not be re-assessed at full value upon sale of the property.  The second provision would authorize a one penny sales tax increase to "buy-out" a portion of the property tax that is attributable to the "required local effort" (the school portion of everyone's property taxes).  The school portion of our property taxes totals approximately $9 billion each year and a one penny sales tax would buy out over 1/3 of that amount.  This would provide substantial tax relief to all property owners in Florida.Our focus now turns to the Senate.  We need to apply pressure to Senators to accept these major additions to the current legislation being considered in the Special Session."The above is a C&P of an article I read in Early Bird News yesterday.  For those of you interested in contacting your Senator to endorse these additions but don't know who your Senator is or how to contact them go to www.flsenate.gov and click on the link at the top left of the page that says "Senators".   In there you will find another link that will take you to the page on how to figure that out.  You will need to know the four digits behind your zip code and there is a link for that as well if you don't know it.

I am anxiously awaiting to see just how much the County Property Appraiser sticks it to me this year with the taxable value on a non homesteaded property I own.  For anyone out there reading this who has a second home in Clay County you may want to pay attention to yours as well.

The second home I own is in Orange Park South, last year the taxable value on that house was raised nearly 23% in just one year.  I was told by the County Appraisers Office that the increase was based upon sales in the subdivision.

When I investigated all the rental homes in OPS that were handled through a Realtor I discovered that the tax increases went from 4-49% in this neighborhood.

I am certain to get a lot in interest on those topics.  Having seen Clay county grow from, grass to gridlock, how do some of you feel about the growth around here?

How about describing it as insane?  How many of you are stuck in the Clay County Municipal Parking lot in OP daily?  How about the NASCAR races on Fleming Island every day.  How bout some russian roulette taking the short cut from Walmart to Target on 220?  Oh, I almost forgot, how about the boulevard that has a traffic light every block or so for its entire length, AKA, Blanding?  How many houses can be built on an acre? How about the demolition derby at the entrance to Eagle Harbor?  Where are we going to put all those kids that show up at the front door of our schools each year?  Portables, oh excuse me, relocatables.  How about the county dumps filled with everything and the county commissioners calling us irresponsible. Because we don't take out our trash they make us pay for their and our garbage cleanup?  PS guys, I always made it to the dump with all my refuse. How about all those new county roads that don't exist?  Is it too late to set aside some land for commercial growth, without tearing down an existing development?  

I think it is incredible that they want to hold off on reviewing the impact fees until AFTER we vote on a sales tax.  If the sales tax passes than they will likely lower the impact fees for development.  That is CRAZY!!  Guess why they want to lower the impact fees?  All the big developers contribute to political campaigns ( including MR Conkey he was backed by a lot of big developers).. The developers don't donate money to campaigns unless they expect something in return.  So watch what happens.  If the sales tax passes they will shift the burden to us (even though we already pay the impact fee when we buy our new homes they add it into the cost of the home), and we pay real estate taxes, and now they want to increase the SALES tax..

I see that the school board wants to get more taxes out of us.

Remember when we voted for the 1/2 cent gas tax for the roads. After a few years and not much work being done on the roads, I asked a councel person why the roads were not in better shape? I said that there was supposed to be a lot of money in the road tax fund. I was told that the state told them that they could put the "earmarked money in the road tax fund" into the general fund. Which they did.

I will never vote for any more special tax fund. I can no longer trust our government to do what they say they will do.