Somerset County Tax Hearing Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 7:00
Somerset County to increase property tax 7.6%
A Public Hearing will be held on proposed real property tax rate INCREASE of 7.6%
at County Offfice Complex
Room 111, 11916 Somerset Avenue
Princess Anne, MD 21853
Hearing is open to public and public testimony is encouraged.
Questions rergarding hearing (410) 651-0320
If the County were to offset increased assessments the real property rate would be reduced to $0.855, the constant yield rate.
The county proposes instead to maintain current tax rate of $0.920 per $100 of assessment. This 7.6% increase will result in $1,017,421
of new revenue. Certainly not fiscal responsibility. Attend and share your views.
Please refer to SBY News Friday, May 15, 2009 for complete article.
Somerset County to increase property tax 7.6%
A Public Hearing will be held on proposed real property tax rate INCREASE of 7.6%
at County Offfice Complex
Room 111, 11916 Somerset Avenue
Princess Anne, MD 21853
Hearing is open to public and public testimony is encouraged.
Questions rergarding hearing (410) 651-0320
If the County were to offset increased assessments the real property rate would be reduced to $0.855, the constant yield rate.
The county proposes instead to maintain current tax rate of $0.920 per $100 of assessment. This 7.6% increase will result in $1,017,421
of new revenue. Certainly not fiscal responsibility. Attend and share your views.
Please refer to SBY News Friday, May 15, 2009 for complete article.
5 comments:
The Daily Times site has a very misleading article today on this subject. The title is "Budget doesn't raise taxes". The fact is that the rate doesn't change but the constant yield rate will generate $1,017,400 more in taxes next year. How can they possibly say that taxes will not be raised? It also sounds as if the commissioners have allready decided not to change the rate even though the public hearing is tomorrow night. That is Somerset County for you.
Your taxes are going UP!
The rate remains same as last year, BUT assessments have greatly increased...the county will realize$1,017,421 than 2008.
Is that not a tax increase?
The tax rate should be REDUCED to $0.855 the constant yield tax rate
to reduce taxes.
Voice your opinion and tell the commissioners to cut spending and lower taxes.
Amen, 11:46.
Where is the outrage?
Is anyone attending the hearing Tuesday night other than the commissioners?
What must be demanded of the Commissioners at the meeting on Tuesday the 19th, is a report on their property tax actions over, for example, the past 5 and 10 years. This certainly is not the first time that they have reportedly “held the line” on the property tax rate, but actually have increased taxes due to the State’s higher property assessments. Thus, an honest look at the current 7.6% tax issue should include the commissioners’ total property tax increase over the past 5 and 10 years. What has the resulting, greatly increased County tax base been used to fund? Certainly, one would believe a larger, inefficient, bureaucratic, county government. A case in point, for example, would be the County’s current, greatly overstaffed Planning and Zoning office. This office has not appropriately reduced staff in keeping with our current economic crisis, which, requires that this office be only minimally staffed. Yes, and it is well known that the first individual out the door should be the one who spends most of his day asleep at his desk! And, why aren’t the Commissioners, instead of raising taxes, demanding that the State immediately reassess Somerset County properties that are plagued with higher assessments - when it is well known that property values across the nation have fallen an average of 30 percent? On the other hand, this is just wishful thinking as one is reminded that we live in the good ole boy (GOB) county. Here, anything goes as long as you are a GOB, including the filling in of marshland (a federal and state offense) over the last 20 years by one well placed Somerset GOB - under the ever watchful eyes of numerous commissioners, County managers and Planning and Zoning Office employees. It is certainly sweet, safe and rewarding to be a Somerset County GOB!
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