Property taxes are destroying fort myers! (Cape Coral, Sarasota: foreclosures, condos, evictions)

[Cleaner]

The residence of lee county were unpleasantly surprised to find out that their property taxes have remained the same or in many cases have gone up!

Does the county understand the impact of leaving current millage rates in place that are representative of the last 5 years of explosive growth are now choking property owners and destroying any hope of fort myers from stabilizing the current dramatic economic downturn.

Lets take a look at the facts... Lee County, FL has the highest unemployment rate in the United States at 8.9% and going higher! Lee County has the highest foreclosure rate of over 27% in the United States. Lee County has lost over 180,000 jobs in the last 2 years! The property taxes are among the highest in the nation.

The facts are clear and the impact of the failure to act by lowering the tax burden on Lee County property owners and putting a spending freeze on all non-vital projects need to happen now!! This crisis is not a short-term situation...the complexities of this global melt down the likes of which have never been seen will leave places like Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres in complete disrepair for the next decade!!!

Citizens need to protest and show their concerns about this! The politicians are completly unware and lack the understanding of this current crisis and lack the will to act decisive way! Just imagine come november and property owners all over the county are delinquent in paying their property taxes because they can't afford them! What county adjusts assessed values every year! thats insane!

Please contribute to this crucial debate!

[Compression]

The good ole' boys in the county, and even city governments around here, only perceive a crisis, as something that keeps $$$$$$$$ from flowing into their pockets. If tax revenues are down, theres less $$ flowing that they can get to stick to their fingers.
The answer is to say everyone gets a tax reduction, and then dont give one, when the time comes due.
Some of the other answers, you may, or may not have noticed recently......More stop signs being installed, Police pulling people over for the stupidest of reasons, (go out and take a leisurely drive, around sunset on a Friday or Saturday evening, flashing lights in every direction you look, what ever part of the city your in, and they rotate at least one evening during the week) The recent astronomical increase of "filing fees" for civil matters(foreclosures, and evictions being the top two types of filing in this category).
Indeed, it seems that the local governments, city and county level, are determined to kick, and shake down their constituents to keep the $$$ flowing into their pockets. Lee county has a long history of corruption, nepotism, and cronyism.
If you do some in depth research on the current property appraiser campaign in Lee county, you will find that there is one candidate(an independant) that seems to have his priorities strait. I believe the TOS here will prevent me from political endorsements, so I'll just say, he's a real "saint"

[FLBob]

Just a few fact checks...

The population of the area isn't 180,000 so how can Lee lose 180000 jobs?
The department of Labor stats for Aug. does show the unemployment rate at 9.0%.

Because of the speculation on vacate land the foreclosure numbers are inflated. Many if not the majority of foreclosures in Lee are not home owners but vacant lots. Home foreclosures are very high and the harm to the local economy devastating.

[Compression]

Originally Posted by FLBob

Just a few fact checks...
The population of the area isn't 180,000 so how can Lee lose 180000 jobs?
The department of Labor stats for Aug. does show the unemployment rate at 9.0%.

According to Wikipedia 2000 population was 440,885, 2008 population(estimate) 623,725, likely that is WAYYYY high, especialliy at this point. Some sources say there are still more people coming here daily, than are leaving.....I dont think so....It's sure seemed alot less crowded around here this summer than in the past seven or eight that I can remember.
That being said, I remember hearing an approximate 180,000 number as well, recently. But I believe that was a Florida statewide figure.

[TriMT7]

You have a right to challenge your property taxes via the value adjustment board. I suggest everyone do so if you feel your home is overvalued for tax assessment purposes.

[FLBob]

I just looked at the county tax appraisers web site and in 2007 lee county had about 120000 homesteaded single family homes and 67000 non-homesteaded single family homes. Mobiles of about 18000. Condos a bit over 80000. Multi-family about 10000. So I guess with an average of 3 persons per unit the total population could swell to the 600k range. That would include the seasonal residents.

What is the millage rate in Lee?
Charlotte and Sarasota are around 13 - 14 mils depending on area.

I think the people that are seeing property tax reductions are those that purchased during the boom, while the long term homesteaded property owners are still playing catchup.

[LovingCapeCoral]

Also, there are some counties in southern Ohio and in Kentucky with higher unemployment rates. Lee County is definately not the worst, and many states have unemployment rates, including Michigan at 8.9% for the whole state! I did a quick search and found this: "Magoffin County's unemployment rate dropped from almost 12% in June to 10.7% in August" (Sparkman, A. 2008) County With Highest Unemployment Rate Is Now Decreasing (http://www.wkyt.com/wymtnews/headlines/29961799.html - broken link) Therefore, Lee County does not have the highest unemployment in the country. It may seem like it, but if you go to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and hover over the states on the interactive map, you will see may states are similar to Florida's unemployment and there are higher. Map: LA I do not disagree about the property taxes, but we also do not want to cancel public works projects that will cause another 300 people to be laid off. Cape Coral was considering canceling the water system improvement project but it will cost 300 workers their jobs. Eventually the new water system will go in and we need it anyway. Why lay these workers off?

[Compression]

Originally Posted by LovingCapeCoral

Cape Coral was considering canceling the water system improvement project but it will cost 300 workers their jobs. Eventually the new water system will go in and we need it anyway. Why lay these workers off?

It's a lose/lose situation. Go ahead with the utility expansion, and hit those homeowners with another $18,000.00 assessment to pay. Many are barely able to make their payments now, and this additional injury to the insult will put them over the edge, and into the abyss......more foreclosures, and fewer tax dollars for the city/county.
Or, lay off 300 workers, there's 300 more foreclosures right there......
Of course, the utility expansion will be over some day, and those workers will lose their jobs eventually......Doesnt look like there's much hope for the area, neither short, nor long term. It's gonna be a long, long, looooooong road back for SW Florida, especially Cape Coral.

[Tungsten_Udder]

Originally Posted by yachtcare

According to Wikipedia 2000 population was 440,885, 2008 population(estimate) 623,725, likely that is WAYYYY high, especialliy at this point. Some sources say there are still more people coming here daily, than are leaving.....I dont think so....It's sure seemed alot less crowded around here this summer than in the past seven or eight that I can remember.
That being said, I remember hearing an approximate 180,000 number as well, recently. But I believe that was a Florida statewide figure.

Well, and even if the population were 624k, 180k jobs would be 29%--and that's if every single person in the county--man, woman and child, were working, which wouldn't be the case, so it would actually be much higher than 29% . . . unless it means that almost everyone who lost a job found another, but I'm sure the Chicken Littles do not want to claim that. Obviously a number is off there. Maybe it was 18,000 rather than 180,000? Those pesky little zeroes!

[fiege1224]

This state has gone fee crazy for all of there greed. I am surprised the county hasn't put slots in there doors yet for quarters to be put in like meters just to enter to pay your fees. I guess they just haven't thought of that yet. To go to war we all band together as we should. But we are letting 2% of the rich control this country. If 1 or 2 million people band together at some of these council meetings at one time it just might make them change out of fear . It sometimes works overseas.But something has to change before we all go broke.