FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FROM ASSOCIATION OF INDIANA COUNTIES REGARDING PROPERTY TAXES
December 3, 2007
Counties Testify About House Bill 1001
(INDIANAPOLIS) – Allen County Clerk of the Circuit Court Therese Brown testified before the House Ways and Means Committee today on behalf of the Association of Indiana Counties (AIC) regarding the AIC’s position on House Bill 1001.
The AIC does support elements of House Bill 1001, but has serious concerns regarding much language in the legislation. Brown who has also served as Allen County Auditor and currently serves on the AIC Executive Board said overall, property tax increases had less to do with county government spending and were actually attributable to several other factors, including: the first assessment update of residential property in six years, the repeal of the inventory tax and the state’s change to the formula for providing property tax relief.
“Homeowners are being asked to pick up more of the share of property taxes because the business share of property taxes has decreased. Overall, business liability is nearly the same as it was in 1991, but their share of the property tax pie has decreased, putting more pressure on homeowners. On Average, if you subtract welfare from property taxes, county government accounts for just 17 percent of property taxes,” said Brown.
The AIC has concerns about the following provisions:
• Circuit Breakers: The legislature has already approved property tax caps to go into effect in 2008 and 2010. We believe the proposed 1%, 2% and 3% property tax caps will extremely limit funding to local governments. The new caps in House Bill 1001 are estimated to cost local governments $5.3 (m) million in 2008, $747.5 (m) million in 2009 and $747.7 (m) million in 2010.
• County Board of Tax & Capital Projects Review: The AIC believes there is merit to having a body review and coordinate significant capital projects. However, House Bill 1001 complicates the process by adding a new layer of government with 184 additional elected officials. Many taxpayers will not be able to vote for the majority of these board members, creating less accountability. We believe the County Council should fulfill this role since they are elected to serve the entire county.
• Spending Limits: We oppose limits on local spending and the use of referendum to approve capital projects because we believe there will be a negative impact on local services and economic development. For instance, if a referendum is required to spend money for economic development, the process for attracting new businesses to a community could be threatened. We also foresee serious problems in cases of natural disaster. If extra spending would be needed for a flood cleanup, the use of referendum could create serious hardships.
The AIC encourages legislators to work with the county officials in their districts; they are eager to partner with the state in finding long-term solutions.
The Association of Indiana Counties, Inc. is a nonprofit organization established in 1957 for the betterment of county government. The various functions of the AIC include lobbying the Indiana General Assembly on behalf of counties, serving as liaison among counties, state and federal agencies as well as providing technical assistance and training to county officials and employees.
53 comments:
On Average, if you subtract welfare from property taxes, county government accounts for just 17 percent of property taxes,”
83% goes for welfare? What a waste! Give them a job not money!
You need to look at your tax bill and you will discover that the majority goes to your schools. Why do you think they have the finest buildings in the county?
I think it is great to help them find work but with the benefits the unemployed on welfare receive (health insurance for their chilren) the unemployed need to find a job that pays a living wage which is $11-13 per hour in our area. There are not many of them around with family insurance benefits. They often are in a catch 22.
You need to look at your tax bill and you will discover that the majority goes to your schools. Why do you think they have the finest buildings in the county?
If you can't find a job in the business world ...teach! Now I see why! A cush job, High end facilities,Health care and retirement. 80% of our tax dollars goes to schools? We need to shave a few % off the schools and bring our cost of living down!
Charlie Redwine could build twice the school with 10% of the dollars!
Pole Barns...the answer to our educational cash crunch!
"Give them a job not money!"
I thought the unemployable gravitated to real estate?
Our local high schools do such a fine job that only about 95% of their graduates, who go on to college, have to take remedial courses before moving on to college level courses!
Why are public school officials so down on "home schooling?"
Because the "homes" these kids are "forced" to learn in, are not extravagant and high-end enough to assure a proper education!
Why are public schools officials so down on "home schooling"?
Because the home schools do twice to three times the education, according to national statistics and college exams, as the public schools. How can the catholic schools turn out excellent scholars in old outdated buildings?
As the old saying goes, if you can't fix it, feature it! In other words, if we can't fix the quality of public education, at least be sure it looks good!
A reminder to all those folks up in St. Leon on pressurized sewer lines and grinder pumps:
Our first winter storm is arriving tommorrow...so...if you have to "go"..."go" now...for tommorrow...you may lose power...and flushing...may be just a fond memory...of the pre-corruption days...until the power is back on!
The good folks up in St. Leon could, in the event of a power outage, "tag and bag" their waste!
We are getting close to the holidays!
Maybe St. Leon sewer "customers" could wrap up their refuse complete with a bow and send it off to Chuck Andres?
Because septic systems “simply do not work!”
Wow, we have gone for schools to septic tanks. Either someone has a one track mind or there must be a connection they are trying to make between schools and sewers.
"Wow, we have gone for schools to septic tanks."
No pumpkin...just a public service announcement!
Sometimes, the severe weather sirens blast, at times, when the impending weather could not be further from you mind!
Only difference here:
PRESSURIZED SEWERS AND GRINDER PUMPS...ARE MAN-MADE DISASTERS!
But thanks for sharing your clueless bemusement!
"...are trying to make between schools and sewer".
Could it be that both our "schools" and "sewers" are pouring out far too much crap into our communities?
Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that the many the schools get for the construction of new buildings and additions comes from the State. Our local taxes goes to the maintence and paying the teachers. I believe the state needs to get more involved with the construction. I don't think high schools NEED an indoor track. Plus the larger the facility the more local taxes needed to keep the buildings running. I think more of the money needs to go towards better education and more teachers. Plus if they have enough money to build an indoor track, instead of building it give that money to the teachers to make them happy and better teachers. Then maybe more of the local taxes can do to improving our roads.
If I have to go tomorrow, I`m going at John Maxwells he has a septic tank.
Public education should be supplemented by parent's also educating their kids.
Having been involved and educated in both public and private schools, I can see there are plusses and minuses in both systems.
But I will agree with one of the above writers- the building has little to do with the quality of education- it's the teachers who are important in the overall product.
The AIC opposes: "Spending Limits: We oppose limits on local spending and the use of referendum to approve capital projects because we believe there will be a negative impact on local services and economic development. For instance, if a referendum is required to spend money for economic development, the process for attracting new businesses to a community could be threatened."
Hmmm- so the voter shouldn't be involved in spending the voter's money.....
I thought the unemployable gravitated to real estate?
WHY DID YOU LEAVE OUT POLITICS??
"WHY DID YOU LEAVE OUT POLITICS??"
Unemployable does not equal corrupt!
Of course, both qualities would be great resume stuffers in order to enhance your chances of Ewbank and Morris taking a second look at your candidacy chances within the Development Party!
Spend anytime around Ewbank and Morris and you don't get the feeling that they want to bring back "Power To The People" principles to Dearborn County!
More like, "Power Needs To Reign Over The People!"
With those two safely and smugly ensconced in "Power Positions!"
Ewbank:
"WHAT IS ALL THIS TALK ABOUT THAT OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE NOT OPEN AND APPROACHABLE BY THE COMMON CITIZEN?
WHENEVER I BUZZ "MY" ELECTED OFFICIALS' SHOCK COLLARS, "MY" ELECTED OFFICIALS PAY VERY SPECIAL, CLOSE AND FOCUSED ATTENTION TO MY "NEEDS!"
Bob Ewbank, in the old days, always struck me as a guy out only for himself...
...and God bless him...
...he has somehow fashioned a way for the rest of us to ensure his best interests...
...whether we elect to do so...
...or not!
WHENEVER I BUZZ "MY" ELECTED OFFICIALS' SHOCK COLLARS...
Jeff Hughes will never have to worry about his heart stopping, with all those jolts of electricity provided by his personal benefactor and HMO: BOB EWBANK!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe if these hacks at the state and county levels had their money spigot finally turned off, they'd quit spending so darned much.
Voters might hamper "capital projects?" Don't the voters have to pay for it?
"Voters might hamper "capital projects?" Don't the voters have to pay for it?"
Where "voters" get in the way of "capital projects," thankfully we have the likes of Jeff Hughes, always willing and able to take such matters from the "voters" and place them in the hands and phones of his family members, to redirect and "survey" enough "cherry-picked" clowns to fix that troublesome "voter" problem!
FYI, Jeff Hughes will be running as a republican and democrat in the upcoming elections!
Orders from Morris and Company!
THe AIC is obviously a group of politicioans or those with political aspirations who are controlled by groups such as our illustrious Chamber of Commerce, and the secret society of the DCEDI.
THe 3rd bulleted concern in the blog hs to do with referendums and natural disasters. This group of people,the AIC, seem to believe that they alone been blessed with Received Wisdom, unavailable to the rest of us!
They feare that a referendum which they may interfer with ECONOMIC DEVFLOPMENT that their handlers wish to have will be turned down by we stupid laymen who simply don't "get it". Basic democracy is a referendum. Voting for politicicans is a referendum. These Stalinists who read Marx and Mao wish to make decisions by themselves, sort of like the DCDEI and the C of C.
Next they throw in the fact that in a natural disaster unless these unemployables,(politicians) are give the power of handling finances by themselves a natural disaster will be unattended. We laymen are too hardhearted to get help for those suffereing a disaster. Is there any governor or County Commish or Washington D. C. politician slithering around, that's what they do, who can't wait to give aid as long that they can pose for a picture for the local newspaper of him or her or it?
So lets say to the AIC, the association of Indiana Counties)to hell with you!!!!! Leave us alone.
"If I have to go tomorrow, I`m going at John Maxwells he has a septic tank.
And with every flush, John further breaks Chuck Andres' heart!!!
Ya gotta luv all the Chucks of this county who work so tirelessly, utilizing back-office political engineering and fabrications, to get the rest of us to cough up our dimes and nickles to subsidize all our shady realtor/developers' sewers! While not ever interfering with these self-same realtor/developers building and listing new homes on septic systems!
Blurring the line between the public health and profit...wherever the dollar flow is the greatest for our shady realtor/developers!
So do these crooked realtors and developers explain to their would-be home buyers on septic systems, that they are working dilligently for the opportunity to come back a year or so later and force these same home buyers to finance these same realtors and developers' future development plans?
Who was the developer up in St. Leon who was pushing for forced sewer connections, but in his planned subdivision, those homes where it was not profitable enough to run sewers to, he had them listed in his plans as being on septic systems?
"Who was the developer up in St. Leon..."
Could this be what you were referring to?
From this blog:
"Of great interest to the group was the recent zone change reversal request from Maxwell Development on Barber Road where several lots will revert to Ag and be allowed septic sites from the same development plan with the others served by St. Leon sewers. Citizens wondered aloud – why their Ag lands were being forced to hook on and developers were given a pass on parts of their Ag zoned development."
Maxwell?
Maxwell?
The name sounds familiar, but I just cannot place it!
"Maxwell?
Maxwell?
The name sounds familiar, but I just cannot place it!"
Thank goodness, that the DCRSD does not have any hypocritical "Maxwell" interests driving "forced hook-ups," like those poor folks up in St. Leon!
Sewers are being driven by development interests and not the public health.
If the public health was a factor, millions of gallons of raw sewage pouring into Double Lick Creek by HVL's sewers would have been dealt with by now.
Now we have development interests throwing up roadblock after roadblock in stopping the raw sewage flowing into Hogan's Creek by High Ridge until their demands are met.
But what does our local public health official want to do?
Send out forced hook-up letters to countless number of families on working septic systems.
Development must have some nice pictures of our public health officials, in positions, that would be publicly entertaining!
Don't tell me honest Chuckie will have to file bankruptcy again !!!
Don't tell me honest Chuckie will have to file bankruptcy again !!!
If Chuck would lower the asking price to his "commercial" property, he may finally make a few bucks and will not be called a "selfish" and "greedy" landowner holding back development in this county!
Maybe Chuck can get the taxpayer to pay Watson to handle his bankruptcy, if he has to file?
Even if bankruptcy is not in Chuck's future, surely he can find some way to utilize Watson, on the taxpayer's dime, to increase his personal wealth?
In regard to the st. Leon Sewer mess, don;t forget the company EES which has the contract to run the St. Leon sewer system. Bet that they were very interested in servicing, the intended subdivision, Whitewater Point, and all the surrounding area. The user fees would add a mot more to their take.
IT seems that ES is in the background for all of athis nonsense.
"...and will not be called a "selfish" and "greedy" landowner holding back development in this county!"
Oh!
Save us all from the wrath of Jim West!!!!!!!
Our good buddy Jim West!
We landowners need to make do with less for his DCEDI members can profit more!
Soon he will request a swat team to come in and free our land we hold hostage!
DCEDI members will be named guardians of such land until the proper profits may be made for the "best interests" of the County!
Mike Hankins needs to conduct a seminar for the remaining DCRSD Board Members, on how to write a polite and well-mannered letters of resignation!
Dennerline stated we (the DCRSD Board) believe most people should be on sewer. Studies show that most septic systems don’t work well.
Unless and of course, his fellow board members or other politically connected realtor/developers want to build more homes on more septic systems!
Up and until, they can "force" sewers on everyone!
Dennerline would not want to stand in way of the quick profits of his fellow flim-flam artists!
Studies show that most septic systems don’t work well.
Studies would also show that where ever develoment interests dominate sewer boards that such development interests could care less how much raw sewage flows into our waterways!
Money in the pockets of these development interests, is all they care about!
Witness the VRUC!
The VRUC: Best evidence of what our crooked DCRSD will become!
I'm sure Sammy is already talking with the DCRSD to permit her to build a subdivision next to High Ridge because High Ridge's existing sewer system could easily take on the extra load!
I'm sure Sammy is already talking with the DCRSD
I'm sure she could bring with her Floyd Ogden with a feasibility study supporting Sammy's assertion as to High Ridge's present capacity!
Sammy could get Jeff Hughes to "conduct" and "produce" a phone study to ascertain whether the raw sewage pouring into Hogan's Creek, is perceived by those Hughes selectively calls, as not all that bad and that E-coli does not exist in nature but is only a creation of the "do-nothings" and " anti-everythings" of this County!
Jeff Hughes, always willing to go the extra mile, will provide proof that a Mr. or Mrs. E. Coli cannot even be found on the eligible voter rolls!
Hidden Valley, where Jeff Hughes and Sammy Gutzwiller live,dump Millions of gallons of RAW SEWAGE int Double Lick Creek every year. That RAW SEWAGE has astronomically HIGH E.COLI counts.
They don't give a damn! It's just looked at as "business as Usual". Ask either one about the pollution of Double Lick Creek? I'll bet the answer you'll get is a QUESTION MARK expression!
And this county needs more sewers controlled by Development Interests?
Geesh!
We gave the Development controlled DCRSD just one job: Fix High Ridge Estates!
And High Ridge continues to dump raw sewage into our waterways while realtor/developer and DCRSD Board Member holds the High Ridge sewer fix hostage until he gets his sewers for his subdivision!
With every flush, Jeff Hughes dumps more raw sewage into our waterways!
I'm surprised that Chuck Andres has not yet punched him in the nose!
Mr. Andres really cares about the health of our waterways!
Chuck should get a job with the Health Department.
He could test Double Lick Creek after yet another sewer sewage spill.
When asked to comment concerning the high e-coli count from resulting sewer sewage spill, he could respond:
"THIS IS FURTHER EVIDENCE THAT SEPTIC SYSTEMS JUST DO NOT WORK...AND BY THE WAY...WORD OUT...TO THOSE IN THE MARKET...I'M SELLING SOME REALLY NICE LAND FOR $55,000.000 AN ACRE...YOU MAY CONTACT ME AT WWW.SEPTICSYSTEMSREALLYPISSMEOFF.COM!"
Sammy and Bittner are already working on a new subdivision. They are trying to get Dillsboro to take their 'load of crap'.
Does anybody work in this county or just fart around on the internet.
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