Property taxes aren’t reasonable in tough times
Advertisement
Text size: small | medium | large
John and Helen McDowell
Published: October 21, 2008
We moved to Culpeper in October 2006 from Florida. We just received our 2008 Culpeper County real estate tax bill.
Our assessed value will remain the same until reassessed in 2009, but we cannot believe the Board of Supervisors has raised the tax rate.
We realize the BOS was trying to meet its budget when it raised the rate, but didn’t the supervisors consider the disastrous housing market, stock market and, now, a major financial crisis?
Did it occur to the supervisors that they would have to slash spending the same as the rest of the people living in the United States and lower the tax rate so that we, your constituents, could survive?
We ask these questions out of complete frustration — we need a reduction in our taxes. Please discuss this matter again as a board.
I’m sure the rest of Culpeper County would be very grateful for some sympathetic actions by our Board of Supervisors.
John and Helen McDowell
Culpeper
Post a Comment
The commenting period has ended or commenting has been deactivated for this article.
Can't find what you're looking for? Try our quick search:
Reader Reactions
Posted by ( ed ) on October 24, 2008 at 10:58 pm
ag2u,ask that the law enforcement leave all the new stuff behind when they have to help you.this town and county fund police fire and rescue last.they waste money on alot of other things like bricks in the road and getting a raise for town council members.alot of the new things are grant $$$$ not your county taxes.jim cares you should go talk to him before you say those things.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( ag2u ) on October 23, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I’m not sure that budget cuts have been made as much as they should have been in certain areas. From what I understand we have deputies who live as far as Greene County allowed to drive their cars home on County taxpayers money. Fill up and go home. There is simply no justification in this Everyone else has to pay for their gas to go back and forth to work. Anyone that far out of county shouldn’t have a car to drive home. They don’t need their car that far away. Also, I understand new equipment and supplies have been purchased for employees that really didn’t need replacing.This is irresponsible during this economic crisis. I guess Jim Branch doesn’t care now that he has his big salary.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( campino ) on October 23, 2008 at 9:35 am
Oh, so now I’m lazy and irresponsbile and whining. Nice.
It was not explained to me that it is only 10% charged one time. I was told by the tax office that it is 10% every month and that there is no payment plan.
Anyway, you guys have a blast defending county taxes here! I’m too much of a whiner, too lazy, and irresponsible for your taste. Even though my bloody taxes were all paid off on Monday!!!!!!!!!! Yeah - I’m a real whiner.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( ed ) on October 23, 2008 at 9:13 am
campino,the tax bills come out the same time each year.you pay a one time penalty of 10% if not paid on the dec. 5th due date.intrest is low.you can make a paytment plan you dont have to ask anyone in the tax office.you have a whole year to pay on your taxes why cant the people in this county learn how the system works.make payments before the due date you have a year to do it but people are lazy and dont know how things work.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( areyoukiddingme ) on October 23, 2008 at 9:10 am
campino, you are sooo wrong. You only pay a 1 time 10 percent penalty, then you only have to pay .83 percent interest each month… and you can make payments if you want to send in your taxes, I asked! Why shouldnt people who pay their taxes late have to pay extra, it is only fair! You know when your taxes are coming each year, save your money, stop complaining.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( ed ) on October 23, 2008 at 9:05 am
the board of supervisors have already cut as many programs as they could, they have put a hiring freeze in effect, county employees did not get a raise this year, and they did the best they could. But people need to pay their taxes and quit complaining about them. They come the same time every year and no one was complaining when the assessments were lower then market value and they were paying less taxes then they should have been. It is time for people to take personal responsibilty and pay your taxes, or take your kids out of school, quit using the parks, quit driving on the roads, and quit using all county services.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( campino ) on October 23, 2008 at 9:02 am
Thank you John McDowell. Our tax bills could not have come at a worse time. What is worse is that if you are late, then you pay 10% interest for each month that you are late. No negotiating a payment plan. So even if you try to be responsible and arrange to pay the tax, you are still penalized.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( Repub ) on October 23, 2008 at 7:53 am
Thank you cul_peper for stating it better than I did, I should have clarified my original comment and explained how fleets, fuel cards, and government purchases were different than a consumer purchase but you did that quite well. I do still believe that if the price of fuel is reduced either by no tax or the cost per quantity (fleet purchase contracts) that somewhere someone else is still paying that tab regardless of the adjective used to describe it.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( cul_peper ) on October 22, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Repub…just so you know. Police and sheriff’s departments and Virginia governments do not pay the price at the pump that consumers pay. That much is true. They don’t pay taxes on a gallon of gas that we do, but they pay the going rate otherwise unless there is a contract. However, it is not the police departments, sheriff’s offices or governments who pay for it….WE DO with our tax dollars. And no, the oil industry does not subsidize law enforcement for using gasoline. Taxes are going to rise next year, at least the rate will. The McDowells can move back to Florida, but I would bet they will find much the same situation of governments dealing with budgest based on inflated home values that are declining fast. Government employees got no raises to be sure, luckily they still have jobs unlike some people in the private sector. But that could change in some localities as well. It’s going to get much worse before it starts getting better. So save your pennies to pay your taxes next year.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( anmlluvr ) on October 22, 2008 at 2:04 pm
What does this have to do with this “election season?“
Report Inappropriate Comment