Largest Refineries Appeal For Tax Relief-(Assessor:"It's Truly Shameless")

[chlamor]

Posted on Thu, Mar. 24, 2005

REFINERIES APPEAL TO COUNTY FOR TAX RELIEF

Up to $33 million at stake if properties reassessed

By Peter Felsenfeld

CONTRA COSTA TIMES

Despite banner profits, Contra Costa's two largest oil refineries want the county to cut this year's property tax bills by about two-thirds.If ChevronTexaco and Shell Oil Products succeed in appealing the annual assessment, the state, county, Martinez, Richmond and two school districts would receive up to $33 million less than what the county billed, according to the Contra Costa Assessor's Office.Additionally, the ConocoPhillips refinery in Rodeo is seeking a $2.1 million reduction, a 23 percent cut.

The county's gasoline producing giants often contest their property taxes -- as do other companies -- but not to this degree, Contra Costa Assessor Gus Kramer said."In light of the price of gasoline and their profits, this is obscene," Kramer said. "It's truly shameless."

Richmond's Chevron refinery and the Shell facility near Martinez are Contra Costa's top two property tax payers, so any change in tax revenues could be significant for public programs that rely on the money. It's unclear how the Martinez Unified and West Contra Costa school districts, which receive about 50 cents of every property tax dollar from the two refineries, would fare if refunds are given at the end of a successful appeal process.

The challenge comes during a year in which county officials hiked the taxable value of both refinery operations by more than 20 percent, driven by profit margins on oil and gasoline and other factors. Contra Costa calculates refinery taxes using a complex formula that incorporates land values, new construction, machinery depreciation and oil prices.
When consultants for both companies did their own calculations, they came up with a far lower value for the properties, although Chevron spokesman Dean O'Hair declined to discuss the details Wednesday.If the companies' figures are used, the tax bills would actually come to $23 million less than what they paid last year.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/local/states/california/counties/contra_costa_county/11217797.htm

[wtbymark]

1. just for that they should double the tax

greedy bastards

[mike_c]

2. when will people ever learn that corporations have ZERO loyalty...

...to anything but profits. They would be perfectly happy to see social services in Contr Costa county completely break down as long as it doesn't hurt their bottom lines. Corporate "personhood" simply incorporates the worst aspects of human nature-- greed, avarice, power hunger-- and elevates them to the primary reason for being.

[KCS72000]

3. Big Oil Companies Granted $66 Million by Homeland Security

What did they spend the money on? Since these were public funds are they accountable.



http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/news/investigators/wabc_investigators_022304funds.html