[sunrico90]

Is this a concern in your county? Santa Rosa County is looking at the tax reform and planning for the future...

With millions of dollars on the line, some local leaders may be forced to take drastic steps to preserve their bottom lines. Santa Rosa County Commissioners could be faced with major budget cuts... If state lawmakers pass drastic property tax reform laws. Commissioners are already discussing what services to trim... They could vote Thursday on an immediate hiring freeze.. and they may ask county departments to cut their budgets by twenty percent.

[ssgt]

Originally Posted by sunrico90

.................................................. ..................
Commissioners are already discussing what services to trim........ and they may ask county departments to cut their budgets by twenty percent.........

And this should be done taxes or not! Maybe a little less spending, cut out the freebes and stop helping support people that have made careers out of welfare and the counties, states etc wouldnt even need all the tax moneys they now get. Until these issues are dealt with, we will get nowhere.

[wacahootaman]

Most county budgets are full of pork and extravagance . And that bloated spending is done with tax dollars forcibly taken from home owners under threat of property confiscation.

Yet the county politicos cry outrage if they have to tighten their budget even when the taxpayer is floundering under abusive property taxes.

All govt workers are supposed to be public servants serving the taxpayer, not the other way around. They can tighten their belt like everybody else does in hard times.

I bet if they got rid of all the pork and top heavy consultants and cronies in the county budget, they would not have to cut services at all. Most of this is scare tactics like they tried in California before prop 13. California survived quite well on a 1 percent tax rate for property taxes. Florida property tax rate is twice that. We should do what Calif did and ignore the caterwauling of the politicians.

[tallrick]

I say cut them off! Most of the money spent by the county is wasted. When was the last time a county employee did a better job than private business? The counties with the most money have the worst services. PERIOD!

[Prichard]

It's about time the State and Local governments have a hiring freeze. I only regret that the tax cuts aren't deep enough to where city and county managers actually are forced to caugh up head count to meet budget! Well, it's a start.

[sunrico90]

The Republican-controlled Florida House voted largely along party lines Wednesday for a measure that would swap homeowner property tax relief for higher sales taxes.

Moderator cut: Provide a link instead of copying everything here, please

[riverviewnative]

Good deal it is about time.

[vpcats]

I need some translation about this property tax vs sales tax. I can't say I understand it. I know many in Florida are in favor of chopping the property tax. However, property taxes are deductible. That helps me. Sales tax has been deductible the last couple of years but it won't continue to be. So where are we gaining in terms of tax deductions.

I'm not that thick but this one has me kinda confused.

Also, what would the property tax be on any properties above your primary?

[Floridabound09]

I am so glad for all of you !!!

It's about time.

Sunrico, don't answer this if you do not want to but did the taxes get to this point by a vote of those same people?

They all need to be held accountable for their vote, all of you need to know who voted to raise them the first time and who voted this time to finally put an end to the madness.

I was hoping this would come soon, I have read about them talking about this bill but nothing was done.

[2peaches2oranges]

Something needs to be done. I was looking at the tax/property appraisers online info for my house because they will be sending out the 2006 bills soon. The value of my home is going UP from $392K from the 2005 appraisal, to $425K for 2006, while everybody has agreed it seems that the top of the market was July 2005, why are values going up when sales and the sale prices are going down!