Is She For Real?

"If property values have gone up or properties have been improved, you would probably see a reflection of that," Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon said. "I think our commercial indicators have been good. And I think you will see additions to the tax rolls in the next two years, especially with these properties coming on line downtown, the ones that are under construction." Margaret Barret-Simon

This was Councilwoman Simon's statement to the Clarion Ledger about the reappraisal of property in Hinds County. Hinds County had a delay in reappraising property because of a lack of staff in the Tax Assessors office. Now that it's time to reassess taxes, Councilwoman Simon says she thinks our commercial indicators are good? What the heck has she been looking at lately? Even with the new developments in downtown Jackson the outlook can't be that good unless they know something they aren't telling us. How do you lose as many businesses as we have in Jackson, replace only a few and come up with a good tax base?

It never fails to amaze me how politicians talk constantly about waning business and the effect crime is having on business, yet when it suits their purpose the outlook seems great. As far as those new developments downtown, by the time we get through giving them breaks for coming, we'll be paying them to do business with us. The City has given tax breaks for over 10 years to some of these new developments so how does Councilwoman Simon figure we'll have some actual additions to the tax rolls in two years? Yes they'll be on the tax rolls, yours and mine as we pay them to turn profit.

I also thought Doug Anderson's comment for the article was very telling. Here's the former President of the Board of Supervisors saying anytime you reassess taxes you have an increase. Anytime? So all that crap about dwindling property value related to crime doesn't mean anything if you're the tax man, just if you want to refinance or sell your property. If they come up with tax values that aren't supported by real world numbers, the citizens should sue them for attempting to defraud the taxpayers.

Read more about it in the Clarion Ledger Article Below.


http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080114/NEWS/801140328/1001/news