So, in this CPST referendum we have the result of months of work by six volunteers who processed input from a dozen or so public meetings and from officials of virtually every public entity in the county on what needs to be done to improve the infrastructure, attractiveness, and quality of life in Anderson County. The committee distilled $800 million in requests down to fit what a 7-year 1 cent sales tax is projected to raise. This is the most non-partisan, most inclusive, most examined project ever done in Anderson County, and despite the fact that a compromise solution is by its very definition flawed....
To those of you who have decided to vote "no" on November 4th because the east-west connector is the top project or because greenspace is not infrastructure or because a building or a park or a town beautification project is not "roads and bridges" or because a sewer line in a development shouldn't be paid for with public money or because we should only be fixing high-traffic roads or because rural areas are getting excessive benefit compared to how much tax they will pay or because it's not a good time to raise taxes, I say this:
I never, ever want to hear you complain about Ms. Wilson's behavior on County Council again. Because if you do, I will remind you:
"And yet, when presented with the CPST, you did exactly the same thing you accuse her of doing, finding a single flaw and then voting against the whole thing."
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Hey stringcheese
I would love to see us have the things we need, but for the same reason you vote YA for the few things you say we want or need, is the same reason I vote NA for the things we don't need.
So please remind me. It will a honor Not to pay for a bridge to nowhere!
I would love to see us have the things we need, but for the same reason you vote YA for the few things you say we want or need, is the same reason I vote NA for the things we don't need.
So please remind me. It will a honor Not to pay for a bridge to nowhere!
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I think you last line Mr Cheese went right over the heads of many. All I can say is "yeah baby".
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String...
In my mind it is much more than a single flaw. However if I see a single flaw or many, how does that equate to how I feel about Ms Wilson? I don't see how the misgivings I have about the tax increase mean anything about how I feel about other things. I am not against new taxes for the right reasons. After a full and thorough accounting is given for the tax dollars spent now I may favor a tax increase for necessary projects that will benefit the entire county.
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I think the vote for or aginst the tax increase will be solely on the merits of the question... not because of something Cindy Wilson may or may not do.
For the record I will vote NO.
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For those who believe the east-west connector is a good idea in order to reduce traffic congestion on both 81 and Clemson Blvd, consider this. Poor planning (or lack there of) in the past does not constitute an emergency tax increase on my part. Had there been planning along with the development on Clemson Blvd the congestion could have been reduced. Had a couple of access roads been built off of Clemson Blvd to get to the shopping areas congestion could have been greatly reduced. But every body land owners and developers both want to make a buck so buildings are thrown up helter skelter. SR 81 is going the same way. Nothing can stop it. Witness the 700 billion dollar bail out of Wall Street, Freddiemac and Fanniemae. Key people knew things were bad, but as long as the money was flowing no one complained enough to do anything.
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Someone convinced me of a good way to get some of the projects done that are included in the sales tax proposal. Vote on only one project at a time. For instance, if we could all vote next month on the first one, the East-West connector and approve it with a penny tax increase, get it paid for in it's entirety, drop the tax and then decide on which one to vote on next. I think they have stuffed too many projects into one vote in trying to please the entire county. I would like to see the E-W connector and believe it is needed for future growth but I may be opposed to some other projects. Let's do one at a time, finish it, and let us decide what the next project should be and vote again on that one. I may not have explained this as good as did the person that explained it to me but I hope you get the gist of it.
Al Brown
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Everyone seems to believe a sales tax is the only way to get some of these projects done. What if I put out the hypothesis that there may well be significant dollars floating around in county government to do some of these projects without a tax. After all wasn't that one of the big complaints by voters that resulted in 3 council members losing their seats? People want to know where all of the money is going and is it being properly spent. And wait until you get your brand new reassessment bill that will result in even more money being put into county coffers. Bottom line I think we need to be certain of where our current tax dollars are being spent before we place a new tax on the people. I also understand that the roads and bridges budget for the County for the past several years has seen little if any significant increase in funding. If infrastructure is such a high priority then give the roads department more money. I think it (the money) is there.
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Someone convinced me of a good way to get some of the projects done that are included in the sales tax proposal. Vote on only one project at a time. For instance, if we could all vote next month on the first one, the East-West connector and approve it with a penny tax increase, get it paid for in it's entirety, drop the tax and then decide on which one to vote on next. I think they have stuffed too many projects into one vote in trying to please the entire county. I would like to see the E-W connector and believe it is needed for future growth but I may be opposed to some other projects. Let's do one at a time, finish it, and let us decide what the next project should be and vote again on that one. I may not have explained this as good as did the person that explained it to me but I hope you get the gist of it.
Al Brown-mral
As I read the Capital Projects Sales Tax Act (Title 4 Chapter 10 Article 3 of SC Law), here are the steps to enact a CPST:
1. County Council creates a 6-member commission.
2. Commission defines project, costs, term of tax, etc. in the form of a referendum.
3. Referendum is held at the next general election. Two weeks before the referendum takes place the referendum must be published in the newspaper. The expenses of the referendum must be paid by the entities benefiting from the tax money.
4. If it passes, then the tax starts on the first day of May following the referendum.
5. If the sales tax terminates before the project is finished, the county can hold another referendum to reinstate the tax, but it has to be for the same project. I think the referendum to reinstate the tax can be held any time.
When the project is finished and the tax is terminated, go to step 1 for the next project.
There are 124 projects on the list, some of which cost less than the cost of the referendum.
So, it looks like to me it would be 1 project every 2 years, assuming the project could be finished in 2 years.
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My assessment went up 70% with absolutely no improvements since the last reassessment. Because of the CAP in the new law, they could only set my assessment 15% higher (for taxes) than the previous assessment.
My family's income did not go up 15% since the last assessment, much less 70%!
Is there any wonder I will do my best to see this additional tax will not pass?
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String, there is a list of approximately 120 projects on the current CPST list, to be voted on in November.They are set by law, and cannot be changer, either to delete, add or change the priority of any given project. The projected amount of taxes to be collected in the seven year life of the tax is approximately $148M. The list was based on the amount estimated to be collected. If the tax passes, the county would issue bonds or otherwise borrow the omoney so that the projects could be constrycted immediately and coincidentally. In other words, the top project could be started and so could ten more.
If the tax runs out, the projects stop. If a new referendum is heald, to allow seven more years of taxes, then either the same or new projects would be started. But there is noneed for separate referendums (referenda?) on each project. The vote in BNovember is to approve both the tax and the list of projects as approved by County Council in an earlier vote.
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But there is noneed for separate referendums (referenda?) on each project.
-dunebuggy
Yah, mral said that his friend was suggesting we vote on one at a time. I was showing him that the mechanics of the CPST made that impractical.
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Usually I look at my assesment and think-I can't complain, that market value is less than I would take. However I just had my house appraised 2 months ago because I am adding on and needed an equity loan and the bank bank appraisal came in $5K less than the assesment.
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It was a very bad idea to put this sales tax up for a vote during a reassessment year. My taxes were also raised the maximum, I wonder how many other people also had there’s raised the max. Seems like that would go a long way toward fixing many of our roads and bridges. I am afraid I too will have to vote no on this one, it really seems like no matter how much money we give the county it is never enough.
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I thought I had it bad when reassessment increased the value of my home by 51% - and that's with a deck that hasn't been repaired since the last ice storm when a tree fell and broke half the railings.
Do we really need an assessor's office? From the looks of it, all they have to do is go up on everybody's property 15% every 5 years, except when a house is sold, and then they will use the selling price as the new assessment. How many people do you need to do that?
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If someone in the know can explain this, please:
According to most of the media home values have dropped up to 25% the past year. This is caused by overvaluing homes to secure larger loans I think. Locally, just ride up and down the street and see for yourself that the number of homes for sale is astonishing in our area.
With all this in mind, how can the new assessment value our homes higher and ask for more taxes? Is there a reputable Realtor on the assessment board that understands the situation?
Al Brown
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mral---The assessment is being based on 2006 house values not 2008. That is why the assessment is so high because values were higher back in 06. You are right home values in 08 on homes are less. And yes I'm betting the county will take the full 15% markup. As was stated above why have an Assessors Office? Just add on 15% and that's that. (By the way a method I totally disagree with.)
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I want to point out that the assessed value of your home for taxes does not necessarily reflect the current market value. It's just a way to compute what part of the county budget comes out of your pocket.
For tax purposes what's important is the relative value of your home versus the other homes in the county. So if the tax-value of your home goes up because you added on a room, then you pay more taxes than your neighbor who didn't add on a room. But if all the homes in the county lose 10% of their market value because of the economy, they still maintain their tax-value relationship with each other, so you still pay the same taxes.
I think that's one of the functions of building permits, to capture tax-value improvements to homes between assessment years.
For tax purposes what's important is the relative value of your home versus the other homes in the county. So if the tax-value of your home goes up because you added on a room, then you pay more taxes than your neighbor who didn't add on a room. But if all the homes in the county lose 10% of their market value because of the economy, they still maintain their tax-value relationship with each other, so you still pay the same taxes.
I think that's one of the functions of building permits, to capture tax-value improvements to homes between assessment years.
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If someone in the know can explain this, please:According to most of the media home values have dropped up to 25% the past year. This is caused by overvaluing homes to secure larger loans I think. Locally, just ride up and down the street and see for yourself that the number of homes for sale is astonishing in our area. With all this in mind, how can the new assessment value our homes higher and ask for more taxes? Is there a reputable Realtor on the assessment board that understands the situation? Al Brown-mral
Mr. Hankey asked the same thing!
What you should know is let the outside of your home look like a dump. I mean really let it go to hell. Keep all your good things inside and out of sight.
thats how you get your assesment down.
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