[SouthFloridaNative]

I just had to post after a conversation I had tonight with my neighbors (who both are employed by EMS). They asked me tonight if we were voting for the super homestead. They told me to think twice before we vote yes because emergency services will be slashed in half because they will loose alot of their funding. They told me that if we vote yes there may not be an ambulance available for us if we were having a heart attack and it would be OUR fault. This made me start thinking. We pay almost 4x what all our neighbors pay for taxes. We have the smallest home in our neighborhood on the same exact amount of land, but we pay 4x the taxes because we bought in 2006. How is that fair? I think it would better if the county adjusted OUR taxes to an average of what our neighbors pay. Heck, if I paid what they paid in taxes I could also care less about having my exemption doubled!! Doesn't this make more sense than doubling everyone's homestead exemption??? Base property taxes on a neighborhood average rather the price paid on the home.

That dang ambulance better answer my 911 call before my neighbor's if I'm paying 4x the amount of taxes to fund it, right?

[tallrick]

I challenge these liars to answer how we got by before 2000. In fact I say that the more money we give the Government the more inefficient they become. There's plenty of revenue available from sales and gas taxes alone. In the 1950's Florida did just fine and nobody complained about high property taxes. I think the only way to end this unfairness will involve mass hysteria. Let's vote "yes" on the peoposal so portability can help us get "save our homes" overturned. Then Floridians will band together to fix the problem.

[SouthFloridaNative]

Originally Posted by tallrick

I challenge these liars to answer how we got by before 2000. In fact I say that the more money we give the Government the more inefficient they become. There's plenty of revenue available from sales and gas taxes alone. In the 1950's Florida did just fine and nobody complained about high property taxes. I think the only way to end this unfairness will involve mass hysteria. Let's vote "yes" on the peoposal so portability can help us get "save our homes" overturned. Then Floridians will band together to fix the problem.

Yes, that is exactly what I have been thinking also. How in the world did all these services survive before the big real estate boom? You hit the nail on the head! I just became so irritated after the conversation. I understand how they feel, but I know they would be super unhappy if they had to pay our taxes and they would jump on any cut they could get.

[macguy]

Originally Posted by SouthFloridaNative

I just had to post after a conversation I had tonight with my neighbors (who both are employed by EMS). They asked me tonight if we were voting for the super homestead. They told me to think twice before we vote yes because emergency services will be slashed in half because they will loose alot of their funding. They told me that if we vote yes there may not be an ambulance available for us if we were having a heart attack and it would be OUR fault. This made me start thinking. We pay almost 4x what all our neighbors pay for taxes. We have the smallest home in our neighborhood on the same exact amount of land, but we pay 4x the taxes because we bought in 2006. How is that fair? I think it would better if the county adjusted OUR taxes to an average of what our neighbors pay. Heck, if I paid what they paid in taxes I could also care less about having my exemption doubled!! Doesn't this make more sense than doubling everyone's homestead exemption??? Base property taxes on a neighborhood average rather the price paid on the home.

That dang ambulance better answer my 911 call before my neighbor's if I'm paying 4x the amount of taxes to fund it, right?

Seeing that the super exemption is not on the ballot, I would not worry about it. Aside from that what they are saying is just an out and out lie.

[bale002]

Originally Posted by macguy

Seeing that the super exemption is not on the ballot, I would not worry about it. Aside from that what they are saying is just an out and out lie.

That's right, the so-called superexemption was thrown out months ago. What's on the ballot later this month is an increase in the current exemption by around $15,000, in addition to the current $25,000 exemption, really a pittance in either case in some regions of Florida, and portability (unless they've changed the question again in the past few weeks that I'm not aware of), plus a few other proposed amendments.

Furthermore, I agree with tallrick that no matter how much taxpayers give to politicians, they will always find ways to pilfer and waste, it's human nature, it's mathematical.

The real issue should be fiscal restraint on the spending side at both the local government and household level, but the powers that be do not allow even a debate on this issue and the people ... well, the people ...

[floridasandy]

agree with tallrick here. everyone needs to vote yes to get the ball rolling. this cannot be the end of the property tax problem, but at least we will let them know that we are not happy with the tax situation in this state!

[bale002]

Originally Posted by floridasandy

agree with tallrick here. everyone needs to vote yes to get the ball rolling. this cannot be the end of the property tax problem, but at least we will let them know that we are not happy with the tax situation in this state!

I really don't think the tax side of fiscal policy is a problem in Florida. Locally the problem is the spending side of fiscal policy, nationally it is monetary and credit policy which played havoc with the housing market in Florida, and so property taxes as a result.

Tinkering with tax policy may only lead to playing around with symptoms, not problems.

Most likely, voting yes or no will solve nothing in particular.

Nevertheless, if voting yes is followed by collective screaming like hell about restraining local goverment spending and possibly also further tax reform, then maybe indeed it is worthwhile to vote yes.

But if there is no reforming on the spending side, then any tinkering with the tax system will be, on balance, fruitless.

But most people will probably vote for what's good for themselves on a short-sighted, short-term view. So we'll how that balance works out.

Good luck!

[Lilybeans]

Vote no on this. This doesn't solve anything, and your taxes will definitely go up. School taxes will now become disconnected from any cap, and school taxes are the biggest portion of your tax bill.

This goofy amendment was cobbled together in 5 days. We all know how much insurance went down after that law was passed and that took a little longer than 5 days. This is bad.

[bale002]

Originally Posted by Lilybeans

Vote no on this. This doesn't solve anything, and your taxes will definitely go up. School taxes will now become disconnected from any cap, and school taxes are the biggest portion of your tax bill.

This goofy amendment was cobbled together in 5 days. We all know how much insurance went down after that law was passed and that took a little longer than 5 days. This is bad.

I agree that there are more reasons for voting no than yes, the may one being that it sends a signal that people are not so stupid as to accept a miserable sop on taxes when the real probable is corrupt spending.

Dream scenario: no wins and voters then scream like crazy for spending reform.

Most likely scenario: yes wins, politicians confirm that voters sell themselves for sops, and they go on taxing and spending mainly to line their own pockets.

[firemed]

There are mixed messages when it comes to the property tax amendment on this month's primary ballot. The governor says it'll save you money, but local officials say that's not entirely true. Southwest Florida leaders want you to ignore the state and take their side.

Voting on the property tax amendment may prove tougher for some than choosing their next president.

"This Amendment 1 doesn't accomplish a thing in terms of reforming the property tax, which is dreadful," said Lee County Commissioner Bob Janes.


Janes says a $240 savings is peanuts for most homeowners. And that money comes at the expense of roads, housing, and emergency services. He's just not sure that it's worth it.




NBC2 News Online - Property tax amendment getting mixed reviews