Metro Atlanta property taxes: Hike them or slash services?

[marmar]

from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:



Metro Atlanta property taxes: Hike them or slash services?

By D.L. Bennett
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution


Looking down the long barrel of 2009 at another lean year in 2010, local officials face a stark decision: Slash services or raise taxes?

Michael McCorkle of Lawrenceville has an easy answer for them: Stop agonizing and start slashing.

“It’s a really tough time for public officials,” McCorkle said. “But hey, it’s tough for everybody. Join the real world. Everybody’s cutting back.”

McCorkle watched as Gwinnett County officials bounced back and forth between deep service cuts, steep layoffs and higher taxes. They began by proposing a substantial tax increase. Then they balked at the fallout and started to cut services. But the cuts proved to be so painful, they jumped back to Plan A and, on Dec. 1, raised the tax rate by 21 percent.

It could have been — and could yet be — much worse.

An Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation of property tax valuations in 2009 found that assessors wiped $4.2 billion worth of taxable value off the books in the five largest metro counties — a staggering change for a metro area accustomed to consistent growth. The AJC also found that appraisals on thousands of houses were higher than the houses could actually have sold for. If tax assessors had used market value to appraise property, as the law requires, the lost value would have mushroomed from $4.2 billion to $24.8 billion. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.ajc.com/news/metro-atlanta-property-taxes-239877.html

[XanaDUer]

1. I live in Gwinnett

and it is a craphole filled with nutjob freepers.

[Craftsman]

2. One huge issue is that many of use are tapped out

either you are unemployed, underemployed or your hours cut. Lots of people on the edge.

[chandler2]

3. Hike them, but do so VERY progressively

Better yet, eliminate ALL taxes, fees etc. and replace them with a WEALTH tax

[MineralMan]

4. Slash! Start by firing the top three people in every department in

the city and give their secretaries or admin assistants their jobs, raising the replacements' pay by 25%.

That'd be a start.