City and County budget managers are the primary culprits which drive up taxes.
Increases in assessed property values can equate to an increase in taxes if budgets are increased in the same year. Even if valuations stay constant, budgets can still be increased if the statutory “upper” mill levy limit has not been reached.
Unfortunately the actual tax effect in real dollars is not calculated until AFTER the time has passed to object to any year’s valuation.

Budgets are set much later which means taxpayers can never know what effect valuation increases will have until the fall of any given year.
All of this conspires to result in the fact that less than one percent (1%) of all taxpayer’s ever file a Board of Equalization (BOE) appeal in any given year.
I credit this fact to the short term memories of taxpayers.

If just one percent (1%) more of the total taxpayers would file a Board of Equalization (BOE) appeal every year the appeals system would be overwhelmed. This is because there is a limited amount of time between when tax evaluations are received and when all appeals must be heard. It really is the only Achilles’ Heel of the current system.

Ask any County commissioner who served during 2008 what effect the 2008 taxpayer “revolt” had upon the business of the county.It takes many man hours to prepare for just one BOE appeal which has led to innovative ways to derail the BOE process.

One of these wholly unnecessary dirty tricks is the current demand that all BOE appeals be filed IN PERSON. No electronically submitted appeals or by mail. This adds another layer of inconvenience for any prospective assessment objector. For those who own property in one county but happen to live in other counties (or states/countries) this can become a real impediment.

What’s next? Passenger Pigeon only filing?
The bottom line is that a BOE appeal can be filed regardless of whether there is any motivation in the following year to do so.

“Pitch a fit” every year and the assessors may think twice about assessing property every year. By statute assessors have the option of assessing once every three years.
Holding the line on budgets during the real property inflationary spiral we are currently in is a must. All real estate bubbles eventually pop and we are overdue for a major market correction soon.

Cutting budgets is no fun for big spenders but history suggests that they never stop until the goose that lays the golden eggs is on life support. In the mean time there really is no mechanism which can effectively put the brakes on the collective greed or appetite for bigger budgets.

It used to be said the Democrats were the party of “tax and spend” while the Republicans were the conservative conscience for holding the line on taxes.Whatever happened to the “no-new-taxes-deficit hawks” which uses to populate the Republican party?

Grover Norquist’s pledge members must be a real disappointment to him these days!
I believe that each of our current representatives and senators signed his pledge years ago.

It’s the real estate market goldrush, fanned by Fed Reserve printing allowances at your friendly neighborhood bank. Fractional reserve hypothecation of deposits at a 10 to 1 ratio. That spells “KaChing!!!” for real estate developers who know that “credit worthiness” equates massive profits and Socialist governments see more revenue opportunities. RINOs and Dems BOTH take advantage and cash in politically and financially.

I remember when I used to vocally state my outrage at Grover Norquist’s desire to “drag Big Govt into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub” cuz I was such a “progressive” back then. Now….I would take pure pleasure in assisting Mr. Norquist and help hold Big Govt UNDER until it goes limp.

How times have changed.

Across a decade of time, from 2013 through 2023 budget projections, the cost of personnel will have increased 53% while the base property tax increased 56%.

YEAR Amount Change from previous yr.
2011 1468.46
2012 1640.42 11.7%
2013 2003.08 22.1%
2014 2332.46 16.4%
2015 2647.34 13.5%
2016 3053.20 15.3%
2017 3239.32 6.1%
2018 4108.40 26.8%
2019 4842.68 17.9%

In 2011, my property taxes were $122 per month.
Next year they will be $404 per month.

If only my retirement benefits were indexed to my property tax, I’d have no complaints.

Old houses aren’t worth as much as new ones. It is ridiculous to say it is the land value should be taxed. The land and everything under it is taxed, too.

Every single person needs to appeal. Old house are being taxed at a rate that considers a developer and a realtor have made a profit. What is the starting point for reform? Let’s find it. Can we elect a new assessor?

The same house with no major improvements.

I will have to sell and move away soon.

Even if the legislature is serious about property tax relief there will be major push back from every taxing enity.

Oh, so you’re not into politics? Well let’s see

Your boss is…he uses his clout to keep your wages low.

Your landlord is…he uses his clout to keep raising your rent

Your banker is…she uses her clout to give you poor returns on your investments, etc.

Your medical provider is…they use their clout to avoid paying or not covering your health bill and forcing you into bankruptcy.

If you take a more proactive action at the polls then we can do like Easterner said.

We are soon approaching the time when we can no longer reason with politicians and must resort to lynching and shooting them. Anonymous.