Yes, taxes really are forcing the elderly out of their homes in Boise. Progressives call it progress. Let us not forget the substantial taxes now applied (and regularly increased) on every kind of utility and city service. For example, Trash+Water+Sewer now nearly equal to property tax bill. Not a chance that stuff costs so much. Pure profit to pay luxurious health plans for government employees whimpering about their difficult jobs.

Where the sun don’t shine Taxboy!

Sheldon’s point #6. ..you can go to court. But if we’re talking about residential values, the attorney costs of reducing your assessment will probably exceed the benefits.

That is not applicable when the property owner (or friend of) is an attorney.
Such is the case with ACHD Commissioner Rebecca Arnold- license attorney with real estate experience.
It was easy and zero cost for her to appeal an assessment, as was mentioned in the previous story of the private bridge being improved by tax dollars.

It will get worse and worse until we are indistinguishable from other high tax low service states/cities where government employees complain about their miserable overpaid careers of incompetence. This is the stated goal of Bieter and the new girls running the county. Fools can’t even get the right picture on a driver’s licenses after over a year of trying. Can’t get the ice off the roads before noon. Hundreds of examples of not doing what they take the money to do. Then the go on TV and explain how taking even more money will get it right next year.

If 50% of every single government agency, except perhaps police and emergency services, if 50% were fired today and the money given back to the taxpayer. We would be far better off within a few years after absorbing them into the private sector. The growth of government in my lifetime has by far outpaced the need, and by far outpaced the growth of population, and by far outpaced the growth of GDP. It is government growth for the government’s sake, taxpayer be damned. Media is so dependent on government for advertising income they don’t dare point out the truth of how government growth is crushing the life out of the ordinary taxpayer. And Sheldon, you are clueless about how the tax increases are crushing older retired folks trying to remain in their homes. Clueless!

Stick it where sun don’t shine taxboy!

https://taxfoundation.org/

1. Property taxes are LOCAL taxes. They don’t get passed through the State legislature, or Washington D.C., they are collected locally and spent locally. And, for better or worse, they are based on a budget which is set locally. When budgets are set, you have the ability to get up and testify to your city council or county commissioners. You can probably even walk into their offices and pound your fist on their desks. Try that at the legislature or congress!

2. Many commenters have talked about how as property values rise, taxes rise. Not so: if everyone’s property value (and assessment) rises at the same rate, and IF BUDGETS STAY THE SAME, property taxes would also stay the same. Of course, there are many exemptions that distort this picture, but many commenters are discussing BUDGET issues. And, in an effort to correct inequalities, there is a substantial homeowners’ exemption. Further, truly low-income seniors and disabled have the right to a “circuit breaker” exemption. If you deserve these exemptions, I sincerely hope you are claiming them.

3. Property taxes give the city, the county, the schools, and the highways a dependable source of revenue–as opposed to sales and income taxes. I’m glad that the schools don’t lay off teachers when the economy takes a downturn.

4. The worst part of property taxes is that they are collected in lump sums, for most people twice a year. That hurts, but it’s certainly more transparent than constantly collected sales and gas and (withheld) income taxes. Painful, but transparent.

5. This country’s biggest problem is not income inequality, it is WEALTH inequality. And the only tax on which the 1% pay their fair share, is property tax.

If you are unmoved by these arguments, take the following steps:

1. When you receive your assessment notice next May, go online and look at all the details on your own home: square footage, year built, etc. If they are correct, great.

2. At the same time, see what’s happening in your neighborhood. You can look at everybody’s data and assessed value. If your value seems in line with your neighbors’ values, at least things are probably fair.

3. If the data seems right, but the value seems high, call or visit your appraiser. His/her phone number is on the assessment notice. Maybe they need to visit your house and see how decrepit your joint is!

4. If you still aren’t happy with the assessor’s value, file an appeal. You can have your day in court with the county commissioners. But “my value’s too high” is not a good argument; you need data.

5. You can even appeal the commissioners’ decision to the State Board of Tax Appeals. Check out their web site for more info.

6. Oh yeah, you can go to court. But if we’re talking about residential values, the attorney costs of reducing your assessment will probably exceed the benefits.

7. Now we’re at the good part: the BUDGETS of all the entities you pay taxes to. The city, the county, the highway district, the school district, the cemetery district, the mosquito abatement district–the list goes on and on. But they all have budget hearings, and they all must take testimony.

I hope you folks don’t all hate me now. I’m just trying to reduce your pain!!!!!!!!

EDITOR NOTE–Sheldon, many thanks for taking the time to educate us all. Good perspective.

The shysters all know this. They endorse it. As long as lemmings continue to be “credit worthy” then it keeps going on and on. Taxes live and thrive and expand because more and more money exists to be taxed.

People wounder why there are billionaires. Easy, because there are billions and trillions of dollars in existence. If the money supply were never allowed to expand beyond a set amount (like a gold std), then markets would have to price according to the medium that makes it work. Pennies would never be stepped over, they would be picked up and rarely dropped.

I have two jobs. One is cleaning up a shopping mall here in Boise. I pick up tons of coins from pennies to quarters. Back in 1968, those coins would buy me a whole bunch of things at any store, with change coming back.

We need SOUND money and limited taxes for services we NEED.

It’s not a dem / rep problem so much as it is a dem / rino problem. I can’t identify more than one state or federal rep who is not tax loving rino.

We did this to ourselves. We better fix it soon because their next steps is eliminating elections. Bieter already has eliminated debt elections. No Joke people.

At that time my mortgage payments will disappear. However, I will still pay $400 per month in property taxes, $100 more than my total mortgage payments when I bought the house.

Bottom line: I am being priced out of my home by having to pay for bloated City and County Government, Ball parks, an anachronistic library, a desire called streetcar and developmental subsidies.

The “increased value of my home” is meaningless. If I have to sell out, where do I move? Maybe I can sleep in the new library!

Growth always comes to the top of conversations and one has to wonder if both our elected and hired public workers are to blame.

Foe example. Boise elected public workers decided to purchase the Lucky Dog bar for a police sub station. Over paid for sure. Meanwhile Boise’s public owns property on the green belt that wasn’t adequate for the BFD, we built a new training center in ADA County for them to train. Along with that property the public owns the new, under construction, no income, low income housing project across the street.

So elected public workers take another property off of the tax role, WHICH MEANS PROPERTY OWNERS, THE PUBLIC, pays more property tax! So one has to ask what was learned from the Fire Bond fiasco by our elected public workers? The above action was NOT in the best interest of the Public.

I mention this as Boise elected workers are holding open hearings to discuss run away property prices? And one has to wonder if both our elected and hired public workers are to blame.

Put forth a Proposition by way of ballot for all electors to consider the following. The County – indeed the State – cannot increase any residential property tax any year by more than 5%, except by special election of 2/3 of the voters; regardless of any assessed value. If that means lower mil levy rates upon which taxes are assessed, so be it. A single adjustment increase can be made upon sale on residential property, if owned by the same owner consecutively for at least 15 years. Such adjustment cannot exceed a 50% increase over the last year’s taxable assessment prior to the sale of property.

No doubt in a boom economy with large speculative interests at play, there will need to occur mandatory resets of mil levy rates. Yet, in a down economy when taxes must be raised in spite of economic conditions, there is an increase allowed up to 5%, and there is special election assignments to place such petition on the ballot.

We have become far too trusting of the empty idea that somehow government grows so that we can all benefit. That’s a false narrative proven as such by any casual observation. In Idaho, we are one of only 5 or 6 States that have such high gas tax. Yet, our roads suffer continuously. We are paying very high bond rates for schools, yet our children are getting only at best a tepid “average” passing grade in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). And our bridges are literally falling down. Our sewers cannot handle the demands. The examples seem almost endless.

We need to take care of ourselves by being more responsible for the costs of growth in the Valley. Wherever there is new development, be that commercial, manufacturing, residential or multi-family, impact fees must pay for the attending costs to support expanded infrastructure of police, fire, water, sewer and traffic. Yet, we continually refuse in Ada County and Idaho Legislature to seriously consider impact fees. The retirees, the fixed income and the poor all are hurt by someone else’s greed and demands for more. The government is US. We need to step up and compel responsible funding from those responsible for costs and services.