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 City Budget ... City Taxes
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| GeorgeM |  Tue Apr 20 2010, 10:41AM | |
| Registered Member #390
Joined: Wed Jun 10 2009, 05:29PM
{LOCATION}Posts: 17
| Council is working on the 2010/2011 budget and it must be bleeding red.
It is past time to reduce the property tax millage in Mountain Park. There is an easy solution to the city's budget problem - restrain litigation spending. This step alone will allow the restoration of basic city services (like road paving and city maintenance). All other problems - like the Fulton County digest issues, reduction in SPLOST, sales tax revenue declines and deferred city maintenance - are secondary to the problem the city has created for itself with unrestrained litigation spending for the last 4-1/2 years.
Now that the Enterprise Fund is depleted and taxpayers have tired of the highest property tax rate in the area, it is finally time for responsible budgeting and cost management. We have paid more than our fair share - and more than was demanded by Council when the litigation commenced. "We must stay the course" is no longer an adequate justification for the property tax rate in Mountain Park, and the litigation duration, status and prospects are sore disappointments to those who have been paying the bill.
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| Big Jon | | Tue Apr 20 2010, 04:45PM | |
| Registered Member #50
Joined: Sun Jul 31 2005, 06:42AM
{LOCATION}Posts: 14
| George your a Saint. Your hard work and your clarifications of the facts on all this mess has been awesome. Man, I wish someone would listen. All I can say is Thank You. Jon Braswell
Jon Wesley Braswell | | Back to top | |
| Trish | | Tue Apr 20 2010, 06:52PM | |
| Registered Member #10
Joined: Thu Jul 21 2005, 11:47AM
{LOCATION}Posts: 70
| Frank and I were the only audience at the budget hearing Monday night. FYI, the 2010 budget is being increased somewhat and, as of the last we heard, there may be a $100,000 budget deficit (in actual spending, not accrued billing such as lake legal fees). Please attend the work session on Wednesday April 21 where more information about the 2010 budget will be available. Unless I’m wrong, this budget could be adopted at next week’s city council meeting. Ultimately, your taxes may be at stake… | | Back to top | |
| JH | | Wed Apr 21 2010, 09:05PM | |
| Registered Member #256
Joined: Thu Nov 01 2007, 03:41PM
{LOCATION}Posts: 34
| I thought the budget was created and approved at the end of the prior year. Did I miss something or are the mayor and council late this time? Does anybody at city hall know what the heck they are doing and where our finances stand? | | Back to top | |
| Keith | | Mon Apr 26 2010, 09:35AM | |
| Registered Member #46
Joined: Fri Jul 29 2005, 09:20AM
{LOCATION}Posts: 122
| Not sure if anyone saw this, but in case you haven't...
Georgia House passes tax reform bill
link
By Nancy Badertscher
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House passed sweeping property tax reform legislation Wednesday that forces counties to consider nearby distress sales when calculating a homeowner’s property tax bill.
The bill, which cleared the House 137-7, also makes it easier for property owners to appeal their assessments.
“It is a major reform of the assessment and appeal process,” said its sponsor, Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock).
The bill, touted as the biggest reform of the state’s tax system in decades, was sparked in part by an Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation last year that showed a wide disparity between property tax assessments and sale values in several metro Atlanta counties. In many cases, the newspaper found that tax appraisers had reduced the value of residential properties, but not enough to match the decline in actual market values.
Rogers said that under current law property owners could not appeal their tax bill unless they had received an assessment notice due to a reappraisal.
Under his bill, counties will be required to send out property tax assessments each year.
The time limit for filing appeals also is being expanded from 30 days to 45 days, Rogers said.
In addition, he said property values were being artificially inflated under current law because assessors exempted distressed and bank sales.
“That’s what frustrated so many,” Rogers said. “Now, they absolutely must look at all comparable sales.”
Other provisions call for:
* more training for members of each county’s Board of Equalization;
* the sale price of a home to be used as its value for at least the first year;
* a new option of using a hearing officer to hear appeals on nonresidential properties worth $1 million or more as Tennessee does;
* and, with each annual assessment notice, the property owner will receive an estimate of his or her tax bill.
Rep. Ed Lindsey (R-Atlanta), who shepherded the bill through the House, called it “a great step forward for Georgia taxpayers.”
“This is an excellent bill worked out by a large group of people to try to make our property tax system more fair,” he said.
The Association County Commissioners of Georgia, representing county officials across the state, has not opposed the bill, despite the fact that it will add to local government costs. Gwinnett County, for example, estimates it will cost about $475,000 to produce and mail annual assessment notices to each property owner.
Rogers said the disparities in land values and assessments have hit low-income areas, including some near the state Capitol. Some homes in that area are taxed at $100,000 and selling at $20,000, Rogers said.
His bill has gone through dozens of revisions, and changes made by the House must be approved by the Senate before the measure can go to the governor to be signed into law.
Property Tax Meltdown
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution last year analyzed more than 500,000 property records in five metro counties, comparing sales records with tax appraisals. The newspaper found that while tax appraisers often reduced the value of residential property, they often didn’t reduce it by enough to match the decline in actual market value. To review the series or to search for tax valuations for any metro address, go to myproperty.ajc.com.
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| Keith | | Mon Apr 26 2010, 04:02PM | |
| Registered Member #46
Joined: Fri Jul 29 2005, 09:20AM
{LOCATION}Posts: 122
| Looks like the budget is still a work in progress:
Approval of Resolution #R061-10 Amending 2009 General Fund Budget and Resolution #$062-10 Amending 2009 Enterprise Fund Budget
2. 2010 Budget Adoption
Posted by: Staff Category: Government Contact: email
When: Monday 26 April 2010 at 07:00 PM Ends: Monday 26 April 2010 at 10:00 PM
Location: Community Building
CITY OF MOUNTAIN PARK
Regular Meeting of Mayor and Council
April 26, 2010
Community Building at 100 Lakeshore Drive
CALL TO ORDER
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ROLL CALL
DISPOSTION OF ABSENCES-McLaughlin
FINANCIAL REPORT
APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES
Regular Council Meeting of March 22, 2010
ADOPT MEETING AGENDA
CONSENT AGENDA
1. MPVFR Expenditures-$3991.59
Airgas Consumables #1031105 $17.00
Roswell Police Services # 923851 $2,250.00
Jenkins, Olsen & Bowen Legal Fees #1022201 $87.50
Shell Gas Fuel #1031108 $74.36
AT & T Phone #1023800 $60.84
T&T Uniforms Uniform & Gear #1031107 $16.00
Rath Microtech Emergency Box #1023800 $275.00
Instant Imprints Uniform & Gear #1031107 $1,113.41
Ace Hardware Equipment #1031700 $97.48
MAYOR’S REPORT
1. Street Renaming
2. Mayor Pro Tem/Reorganization of Committees/Establishing Departments
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Administrative/Legal/Finance
1. Approval of Resolution #R061-10 Amending 2009 General Fund Budget and Resolution #$062-10 Amending 2009 Enterprise Fund Budget
2. 2010 Budget Adoption
BZP
1. Ordinance #304-10 Amending Section 117-4 to Allowing Grandfathering of Existing Structures
2. Georgia Department of Natural Resources “Minor Land Disturbing Activity” in the buffer
3. Building without a permit, Section 117-14
Lakes/Parks/Recreation
Property
1. Pool rates, locks & deck
2. Lawn mower
3. Community Building Management
Public Safety
1. IGA with Fulton County for Radio System
Roads & Streets
Utilities
1. Appeals
AUDIENCE
Leslie Wheeler-Streets
ADJOURN | | Back to top | |
| Keith | | Mon May 17 2010, 09:55AM | |
| Registered Member #46
Joined: Fri Jul 29 2005, 09:20AM
{LOCATION}Posts: 122
| Is the recording going to be posted for the April meeting? It's been sometime and the last recorded meeting is showing back in March....
Thanks in advance. | | Back to top | |
| editor | | Wed May 19 2010, 07:06PM | |
| 
Joined: Tue Jul 12 2005, 05:03PM
{LOCATION}Posts: 169
| Keith,
Several business and personal demands created time problems for taping the council or committee meetings recently. If there is a volunteer who can attend meetings and record using the mpl recorder, please contact editor @ mountainparklife.com. We will appreciate the help. If no one comes forward, we will try to start recording as soon as possible. The meeting recordings are a community service that we very much hope to continue. | | Back to top | |
| GeorgeM | | Fri May 21 2010, 03:11PM | |
| Registered Member #390
Joined: Wed Jun 10 2009, 05:29PM
{LOCATION}Posts: 17
| Trish,
The community is so grateful for your willingness for MANY years to attend, and then post, audio from Council and Committee meetings. This has been a great service to the community.
Isn't it time for this function to be provided by the city government?
Karen Segars, the most able City Clerk, attends Council meetings and could record the meeting for publication. Committee Chairs could turn on the digital recorder at Committee Meetings.
Real Cities make all public meetings available online for members of the community who are not able to attend the meetings in person (and they don’t depend on citizen volunteers to do this). There are important issues on the table right now. The City has a budget deficit AND a horrendously high property tax rate (which needs to lowered). There are changes in process to the city’s building code. And lake litigation expenses are now $1.9 million with an unpaid balance of $538,319 to the city’s law firm.
Rather than looking for additional citizen volunteers to record meetings, shouldn’t this responsibility be transferred to the government? | | Back to top | |
| Keith | | Tue Jun 22 2010, 09:14AM | |
| Registered Member #46
Joined: Fri Jul 29 2005, 09:20AM
{LOCATION}Posts: 122
| ATLANTA (June 4, 2010) - Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers' (R-Woodstock) much anticipated PropertyTax Assessment and Appeals Reform Bill (SB 346) was signed into law today by Gov. Sonny Perdue. The bill is aimed at ensuring all Georgia properties are properly assessed at Fair Market Value and that property owners have guaranteed rights to appeal.
"Georgia's property tax system has been in desperate need of reform for decades. With the enactment of this law, property owners will be protected from unfair assessments and have a guaranteed right to appeal," said Rogers. "Georgians ought to know that the system works for them, not against them. We have taken a major step today in protecting property owner rights, but the journey is not finished. I look forward to continuing this effort again next year and beyond."
The overall reform includes more than 50 changes to current state law. Significant taxpayer friendly provisions include:
· Requirement that every property owner receive annual Notice of Assessment, which guarantees right to appeal
· Every Notice of Assessment must contain estimated property tax
· Expansion of appeal time-period from 30 to 45 days
· Alternative streamlined appeal option for property valued in excess of $1,000,000
· Automatic taxpayer victory on appeals when government fails to respond within 45 days
· Requirement that all relevant sales, including distress sales, be included when determining Fair Market Value
· Requirement that only "current use of property" be used in determining Fair Market Value
· Taxpayer must be given access to all data used in determining Fair Market Value
· Sales price establishes Fair Market Value for next tax year
SB 346 passed with overwhelming bi-partisan support in the Georgia Senate and House. The Property Tax Assessment and Appeals reform bill was a result of a 2009 study committee on property taxes.
A report of the study committee hearings can be found at
link | | Back to top | |
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