Proposed Super Homestead Exemption Information

[Curtis]

You mean for crap like this?


"As part of Walton County?s Phase Improvement Plan on Scenic Highway 98, eight state-of-the-art lighted crosswalks were recently added west of Pompano Joe?s restaurant that are designed to better alert motorists of pedestrians crossing the busy road."

The lighted crosswalks on the west end of 30-A no longer even work. Maybe they did a crosswalk study and have improved the design.

 

[SHELLY]

The lighted crosswalks on the west end of 30-A no longer even work. Maybe they did a crosswalk study and have improved the design.

Improved the Design?: http://www.waltontaxpayers.org/Porktest.htm

BTW, this is what a proper<w/British Accent> crosswalk looks like:

I pity the fools who got caught running down folks on them.

.

 

[Curtis]

I live a bit West of Gulf Place and the showers don't work there either.

 

[Bob]

Improved the Design?: http://www.waltontaxpayers.org/Porktest.htm

BTW, this is what a proper<w/British Accent> crosswalk looks like:

I pity the fools who got caught running down folks on them.

.

Looks like they hired British autoworkers to paint the traffic lanes.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Looks like they hired British autoworkers to paint the traffic lanes.

probably union workers.

 

[Here4Good]

It is not a theory. Revenues are limited by statute. So that must be taken into account. Revenues are limited to inflation plus new construction. This is going to force the millage rates down.

It is a theory. Watch the budget process sometime - the BCC starts with the assessed values at the current millage, then they start calling their pals and relatives to fill up the budget. I spent many useless hours trying to discuss this "statute" with the BCC last year, and even the honest ones seemed to have no idea what I was talking about.

I checked the SOH calculator, and the disturbing part was how much our taxes will go up, either way. Super Exemption will cut our taxes in half the first year.

 

[waltondude]

I've heard Patrick discuss how assessed values are determined. I think Patrick is a good person to be in that office. The problem I have with the entire system is as Patrick notes -- the assessments and budgets are created @ss backwards. Patrick is required to turn in the assessments prior to the budgets being finalized. The reverse should be the way it is done, with the County determining what they need to spend, then setting the taxes accordingly. As it is currently, they get to see how much they have to spend and blow the whole wad.

No argument there at all. But that is a political problem. Governing bodies should make a list of what they want to do, prioritized that list, then see how much money they have and go from there. Unfortunately no one in this county governs that way. A school board member recently told me that the school district 'problem' was that it is awash in cash and needed to get rid of it. I suggested returning it to the taxpayer so that economic activity could be jump started. That go nowhere. At a recent school board meeting, Bill Laird made the statement that the reason taxes were so high, was the greed of the people trying to make money off of real estate. Imagine that! Of course a review of the school board tax actions in the past and they never passed up a chance to take and spend more of our money. Until we get true leadership that wants to budget and tax in a meaningful way instead of just responding to every popular problem for political points, it ain't going to change.

BTW, the Walton County School District is now in the process of building a new $45 million dollar high school for approximately 700 students in DeFuniak Springs. They are paying cash for the school. And they still have too much on hand.

 

[Smiling JOe]

No argument there at all. But that is a political problem.

Am I missing something, or is the SOH not a political problem, too? It is all lumped together in my opinion. By law, the Property Assessor has to turn in the assessments to the County before the BCC approves any budgets. I've mentioned what I think of as spending problems by the BCC in the past, and in particular, paying cash for multi-million dollar school buildings. If the County operated as they should, you wouldn't hear a peep about SOH or the NOT-So-Super Exemption, because taxes wouldn't amount to much.