Property Taxes (Tampa, Lakeland, Homestead: sales, apartment, renters)

[kristimc25]

The disparity in taxation across property owners, local assessments & millage rates has reached dire proportions. As a Florida resident, my property taxes will equal to 35% of my mortgage payment.

The common misconception is that services provided by taxing authorities are utilized solely by homeowners.

Taxing Authorities: Services
•County: Medical Examiners Office, Public Assistance, Mosquito Spraying, Head Start Program, Animal Shelter, MOSI, & Cooperative Extension Service
•Environmental: environmentally sensitive lands threatened by destruction
•Schools: construction & renovation of school property
•Schools Local & State: Early Childhood Education, Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle & Secondary Schools, Adult Education, Community & Magnet Schools
•Port Authority: Administration & Operation of the Port of Tampa
•County Transit: Operating expenses: bus drivers & road supervisor salaries, and fuel.
•Children's Board: Deal with child abuse, drug abuse, teenage suicide, & other youth programs
•Water Management (countywide & city): SWFMD- Alafia River, Northwest Hillsborough Basin, & Hillsborough River Basin
•City Taxing Authorities: provide police, fire, sewer, garbage collection, street lighting, street repair, crossing guards & crime watch programs. Operates libraries, municipal golf courses, recreation complexes, parks, cemeteries, wastewater treatment plants, senior citizens' & community centers. Enforces housing & development codes.

A fair solution is to eliminate the property taxes altogether for primary homeowners and cap property taxes for other property owners.

PROPERTY TAX RELIEF & REFORM FOR OTHER PROPERTY OWNERS
1.Eliminate all property taxes for residential homeowners.
2.For other property owners, limit assessments at 80%l cap millage rate at 15.
3.Replace property tax revenue by implementing a 3% state wide income tax.
4.Increase the sales tax by .05% for emergency funds for taxing authorities.
5.Allow for primary residents & businesses to deduct sales tax difference.

PROPERTY TAX ELIMINATION
Note: Data from the city of Tampa was utilized to show millage rates.

Eliminate Property taxes for Residents: Replace with 3% State Income Tax
2006 average property assessment rate: 97%
2006 average total millage rate: 24.000 mils
Homestead Exemption: $25,000

Property taxes on a $230,000 home compared with 3% State Income taxes:
•To qualify for a $230,000 home, one needs to earn $68,000 year
•Property taxes on a $230,000 home: $4,755 year or $396 month
•State Income taxes on $68,000 yearly income: $2,000 year or $167 month
•A tax savings of $2,755 year or $230 month

Property Taxes on a $500,000 home or 3% State Income Tax on Residents:
•To qualify for a $500,000 home, one needs to earn $150,000 year
•Property taxes on a $500,000 home: $11,040 year or $920 month
•State Income taxes on $150,000 yearly income: $4,500 year or $375 month
•A tax savings of $6,540 year or $545 month

Cap Property taxes for Other Property Owners
2006 average property assessment rate: 97%
2006 average total millage rate: 24 mils
Proposed assessment with 80% Cap
Proposed capped total millage rate at 15 mils

Property Taxes on $230,000 home or Caps for other Property owners
•Prop taxes on a $230,000 home currently: $5,354 year or $446 month
•Prop taxes on a $230,000 home under proposal: $2760 year or $230 month
•A tax savings of $2,594 year or $216 month

Property Taxes on a $500,000 home or Caps for other Property Owners
•Property taxes on $500,000 home currently: $11,640 year or $970 month
•Property taxes on $500,000 home with caps: $6,000 year or $500 month
•A tax savings of $5,640 year or $470 month

DISCUSSION
Persons living at or below poverty would not pay income taxes.
My proposal would eliminate the disparity in property taxes for similar homes.

Argument: The more you make, the more you pay, so what is the difference?
Response: The 3% income tax is a flat rate tax. Typically, the more money you make, the more you spend on a home, which means that you are taxed higher on your property compared to others making less and buying a home for far less.

Argument: Renters will be unhappy about this proposal.
Response: My proposal also provides relief to second homes and business owners by capping the assessment at 80% instead of the current average of 97%. Millage rates would also be capped at 15 instead of 24; therefore, apartment owners would owe a lot less property taxes, which should lead to lower rents. Additionally, more renters would be able to buy as it would be more affordable with no property taxes to pay.

[tampa-chrissie]

I agree with this plan. But I'm also a supporter of Fair Tax.

[Floridasunshine]

I agree somewhat with the plan. I just dont think it is fair for Tampa to charge millage of 28.00 and Lakeland 17.00. Why the difference?

[d070033]

Originally Posted by kristimc25

The disparity in taxation across property owners, local assessments & millage rates has reached dire proportions. As a Florida resident, my property taxes will equal to 35% of my mortgage payment.

The common misconception is that services provided by taxing authorities are utilized solely by homeowners.

Taxing Authorities: Services
•County: Medical Examiners Office, Public Assistance, Mosquito Spraying, Head Start Program, Animal Shelter, MOSI, & Cooperative Extension Service
•Environmental: environmentally sensitive lands threatened by destruction
•Schools: construction & renovation of school property
•Schools Local & State: Early Childhood Education, Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle & Secondary Schools, Adult Education, Community & Magnet Schools
•Port Authority: Administration & Operation of the Port of Tampa
•County Transit: Operating expenses: bus drivers & road supervisor salaries, and fuel.
•Children's Board: Deal with child abuse, drug abuse, teenage suicide, & other youth programs
•Water Management (countywide & city): SWFMD- Alafia River, Northwest Hillsborough Basin, & Hillsborough River Basin
•City Taxing Authorities: provide police, fire, sewer, garbage collection, street lighting, street repair, crossing guards & crime watch programs. Operates libraries, municipal golf courses, recreation complexes, parks, cemeteries, wastewater treatment plants, senior citizens' & community centers. Enforces housing & development codes.

A fair solution is to eliminate the property taxes altogether for primary homeowners and cap property taxes for other property owners.

PROPERTY TAX RELIEF & REFORM FOR OTHER PROPERTY OWNERS
1.Eliminate all property taxes for residential homeowners.
2.For other property owners, limit assessments at 80%l cap millage rate at 15.
3.Replace property tax revenue by implementing a 3% state wide income tax.
4.Increase the sales tax by .05% for emergency funds for taxing authorities.
5.Allow for primary residents & businesses to deduct sales tax difference.

PROPERTY TAX ELIMINATION
Note: Data from the city of Tampa was utilized to show millage rates.

Eliminate Property taxes for Residents: Replace with 3% State Income Tax
2006 average property assessment rate: 97%
2006 average total millage rate: 24.000 mils
Homestead Exemption: $25,000

Property taxes on a $230,000 home compared with 3% State Income taxes:
•To qualify for a $230,000 home, one needs to earn $68,000 year
•Property taxes on a $230,000 home: $4,755 year or $396 month
•State Income taxes on $68,000 yearly income: $2,000 year or $167 month
•A tax savings of $2,755 year or $230 month

Property Taxes on a $500,000 home or 3% State Income Tax on Residents:
•To qualify for a $500,000 home, one needs to earn $150,000 year
•Property taxes on a $500,000 home: $11,040 year or $920 month
•State Income taxes on $150,000 yearly income: $4,500 year or $375 month
•A tax savings of $6,540 year or $545 month

Cap Property taxes for Other Property Owners
2006 average property assessment rate: 97%
2006 average total millage rate: 24 mils
Proposed assessment with 80% Cap
Proposed capped total millage rate at 15 mils

Property Taxes on $230,000 home or Caps for other Property owners
•Prop taxes on a $230,000 home currently: $5,354 year or $446 month
•Prop taxes on a $230,000 home under proposal: $2760 year or $230 month
•A tax savings of $2,594 year or $216 month

Property Taxes on a $500,000 home or Caps for other Property Owners
•Property taxes on $500,000 home currently: $11,640 year or $970 month
•Property taxes on $500,000 home with caps: $6,000 year or $500 month
•A tax savings of $5,640 year or $470 month

DISCUSSION
Persons living at or below poverty would not pay income taxes.
My proposal would eliminate the disparity in property taxes for similar homes.

Argument: The more you make, the more you pay, so what is the difference?
Response: The 3% income tax is a flat rate tax. Typically, the more money you make, the more you spend on a home, which means that you are taxed higher on your property compared to others making less and buying a home for far less.

Argument: Renters will be unhappy about this proposal.
Response: My proposal also provides relief to second homes and business owners by capping the assessment at 80% instead of the current average of 97%. Millage rates would also be capped at 15 instead of 24; therefore, apartment owners would owe a lot less property taxes, which should lead to lower rents. Additionally, more renters would be able to buy as it would be more affordable with no property taxes to pay.

I like your plan and its obvious that it is well thought out however I am seriously aganist any type of income tax. Keep it out.

How about a consumption tax instead?

[dechason1]

I think the 3% state income tax is a great idea! I'm a young professional who makes a good living, however I refuse to purchase a $500-600K house, because I will not pay the rediculously high property taxes. If something is not done to fix this tax problem.....soon, I'm sure there is going to be a very large wave of people relocating out of Florida.

What do we(I) have to do to change the system?

[tallrick]

Originally Posted by dechason1

I think the 3% state income tax is a great idea! I'm a young professional who makes a good living, however I refuse to purchase a $500-600K house, because I will not pay the rediculously high property taxes. If something is not done to fix this tax problem.....soon, I'm sure there is going to be a very large wave of people relocating out of Florida.

What do we(I) have to do to change the system?

We have to get together. I have been trying to do this for 5 years. GOOD LUCK!

[bnepler]

Once you get an income tax, you've let the camel get his nose under the tent. It's very easy to raise it every year. Ask anyone that ever lived in a state that has one. Besides, the people have to ok it in Florida.

[tallrick]

Let's just start calling legislators and bugging them to do something. If that doesn't work how about a protest parade down a major highway? Come on, what would you want to do?

[dayworker]

Something needs to be done, I don't agree with a state income tax nor do I agree with swinging an ax at everything you see. First off the problem took 30 or 40 some years to create and it will not be solved in six weeks. Government grew to its current size because we allowed it to, we all thought we were getting something for nothing well guess what. We stopped providing for ourselves and began asking someone else to do it for us. I have yet to hear of any one solution that would solve it all, so that means it may take a mixture of a few over time and we will need to watch the fall out. I feel that the all public safety services are critical and need to be supported as much as possible, these are services that we can not provide for ourselves, Police, fire, ems. We need to then start with what we can do with out and slowly start to cut those services back to the point where it is no longer needed.
This will start us on the road to recovery. In the mean time no state income tax, freeze and then start to roll back property taxes, do not exempt the education system they are the worst of all spenders, take education away from the state and return to the counties where it belongs. Look at using the sales tax to pickup some of the short falls. We need to cut the State out of the sales tax and the majority of that money needs to say in the counties, it's all our money and we're the one who need to say how it's tspend not the State.

[tallrick]

What would be interesting is to see exactly where the additional revenue in the last few years was spent. I have almost completely lost faith in the citizens of the state. I lost faith in the government many years back.