Mr. Larry Layton’s “revenue neutral” proposal won’t help a lot of people [“Keep Asheville a Place for All,” Feb. 17, Xpress]. Revenue neutral will keep total tax intake at the same level, but a person whose property value increased by a greater percentage than average will pay more taxes than prior to the revaluation.
Revaluations produce winners, losers and neutrals, despite revenue neutral, and often the people who can afford real property taxes the least end up with the biggest tax increases if their property is in a popular area, as close-in neighborhoods with character often are. If you are in that category, appeal if you have a leg to stand on, as you may well have. Typically, many properties are overvalued (as many are undervalued).
In connection with a revaluation in Charlotte about 20 years ago, I found upon review of my neighborhood that about one-third of the properties were overvalued and worthy of appeal, about one-third about right and about one-third undervalued (the owners of which, of course, would not appeal). I appealed revaluation twice and received valuable adjustments each time.
— Michael Childs
Charlotte
A friend had his house value for tax purposes increase by $140 K, an amount over 60% of it’s previous value, while living on a fixed retirement income and paying for his wife in an assisted living facility due to Alzheimers. When will the demunists get around to tax “justice”? Maybe Buncombe county government should adapt a fat, blood engorged tic as their logo. No offence meant to blood sucking parasites.
Any interest in a Proposition 13-type movement in Asheville?
“40 years ago this summer, voters in California approved Proposition 13, a law that initiated sweeping changes to the California property tax system and permanently re-shaped the dynamics of property ownership in the state. Prop 13 is known in California and beyond as the rule that protects low-income, elderly property owners from being priced out of their own neighborhoods.
This isn’t California, there is no process for citizen initiatives, it has to go through the legislature and be signed into law by the governor, they don’t care about us, we’re not of their social status, though they might let us scrub their toilets. Local governments would rather we move elsewhere and sell to someone from some other high tax state that thinks Bunkum is a bargain.