[Chat] [Discussion] Mayor's Blue Ribbon Panel Report

Stephen J Gewirtz gewirtz at bellatlantic.net
Thu Jan 3 12:12:39 EST 2008 

Be aware that if you increase the cap on assessment increases while 
lowering the tax rate slightly, most of us in Charles Village will have 
our property taxes go up rather than down.  The exceptions will be 
commercial properties (including rental properties) and properties that 
change hands.

A number of those who wrote the report are connected to the realty 
industry.  Low caps on assessment increases and higher tax rates benefit 
long term resident homeowners but hurt those who move in and therefore 
those who sell houses to them.  They have the effect of reducing selling 
prices of houses (which has no effect on those of us who do not sell our 
houses).  For example, someone buying my house (not for sale) would pay 
about $333 per month more in real estate taxes when the full 
reassessment is in effect, but would have the same mortgage (including 
escrow) payment if the selling price were reduced by a little bit more 
than $50K.  So one can see why the realtors would want higher caps and 
slightly lower rates.

Another part of the report is about how much the tax rate can be cut if 
we have casino gambling in Baltimore.  Given the support given by Sheila 
Dixon to passing the gambling referendum in November, is that a big 
surprise?  Do we want to lower our tax rate by creating a casino in 
South Baltimore despite all the problems including increases crime that 
more gambling will create?

Other proposals are to institute a local or regional sales tax (another 
1% on top of the 6% that takes effect today, although the preliminary 
report speaks of 5% and must have been written before the special 
session of the Legislature), or to raise the piggy-back local income 
tax.  A sales tax is regressive; the income tax proposal may have merit.

In short, the devil is in the details, and the details overall strike me 
as more negative than positive.  While real estate taxes based on 
assessed values have their disadvantages, the low caps on assessment 
increases seem to me to be less of an evil than the proposed 
alternatives.  They allow long term homeowners to keep their homes 
affordable without being driven out because their neighborhoods become 
desirable to outsiders.

Steve.

weinsteinm at aol.com wrote:
> Maybe I'm being too optimistic, but the panel is a pretty serious 
> group, so what that says to me is either
> a) the Mayor wanted to appear for election purposes like she was 
> serious about cutting the property tax rate, or
> b) the Mayor really is serious about cutting the property tax rate and 
> wanted to build a political consensus and some momentum for 
> accomplishing that. 
>
> If the answer were a, then they probably would have had the report 
> come out before the election rather than afterwards. 
>
> I guess time will tell...
>
> -Matthew
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: jberlin <jberlin at bcpl.net>
> To: The Charles Village Chat List <chat at charlesvillage.info>
> Sent: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 11:03 am
> Subject: Re: [Chat] [Discussion] Fw: [I-NEIGHBORS] Property Tax 
> Assessments - Mayor's Blue Ribbon Panel Report
>
> I can proudly say I did not vote for any of them, except Mary Pat. 
> Judy 
>  
> On Jan 3, 2008, at 10:19 AM, John Spurrier wrote: 
>  
> > Brad, 
> >   
> > Thanks for posting this report. Given the makeup of the Blue Ribbon 
> > Panel you would 
> > think that someone would have proofread the charts and tables. When 
> I > see headings 
> > that read "Medium Income" and "Medium House Price" I know that our > 
> city government 
> > is in the hands of idiots. It is hard to give this report any real > 
> credibility. 
> >   
> > John 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >> From: william.schlegel at us.army.mil 
> <mailto:william.schlegel at us.army.mil> 
> >> To: ; ; WIA at yahoogroups.com <mailto:WIA at yahoogroups.com>; 
> GreaterHomewoodHBN at yahoogroups.com 
> <mailto:GreaterHomewoodHBN at yahoogroups.com>; >> 
> coalition_bmog at yahoogroups.com 
> <mailto:coalition_bmog at yahoogroups.com>; WAVEBELL21218 at I-NEIGHBORS.ORG 
> <mailto:WAVEBELL21218 at I-NEIGHBORS.ORG>; >> 
> CHARLESVILLAGE21218 at I-NEIGHBORS.ORG 
> <mailto:CHARLESVILLAGE21218 at I-NEIGHBORS.ORG>; >> 
> BETTERWAVERLY21218 at I-NEIGHBORS.ORG 
> <mailto:BETTERWAVERLY21218 at I-NEIGHBORS.ORG>; >> 
> EDNORGARDENSLAKESIDE21218 at I-NEIGHBORS.ORG 
> <mailto:EDNORGARDENSLAKESIDE21218 at I-NEIGHBORS.ORG> 
> >> Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 01:41:05 -0500 
> >> Subject: [Discussion] Fw: [I-NEIGHBORS] Property Tax Assessments - 
> >> Mayor's Blue Ribbon Panel Report 
> >> 
> >>  FYI 
> >>   
> >> ----- Original Message ----- 
> >> From: Andrew Timleck 
> >> To: Brad Schlegel 
> >> Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 6:17 PM 
> >> Subject: Re: [I-NEIGHBORS] Property Tax Assessments - Mayor's Blue 
> >> Ribbon Panel Report 
> >> 
> >> I’m sure you’ve seen this? Has it been circulated on 
> Wavebell/Better >> Waverly/EGLS, etc.? 
> >> 
> >> http://www.baltimorecity.gov/mayor/blue_ribbon/downloads/>> 
> Blue%20Ribbon%20Committee%20Report%20FINAL%20DRAFT%2012_20_07.pdf 
> >> 
> >> Andy 
> >> 
> >> 
> >> On 1/2/08 5:21 PM, "Schlegel, William B CW4 RES USAR USARC" >> 
> <william.schlegel at us.army.mil <mailto:william.schlegel at us.army.mil>> 
> wrote: 
> >> 
> >>> Andy, 
> >>>   
> >>> first there are no "Million dollar houses" in CV.  Most sell for 
> >>> under 400K.  Tweefie can vouch for that.  the main issue is that 
> >>> some assessments are more than the FMV of the prioperty today. 
>  Also >>> that the assessments are more than 10% higher than the 
> previious >>> ones.  The value for land tripled on many properties. 
>  There are >>> other messages on the EGLS list which might add some 
> more flavor.  I >>> just wanted to share information - not start a 
> debate. 
> >>>   
> >>> Happy New Year. 
> >>>   
> >>> Brad 
> >>> ----- Original Message ----- 
> >>> From: tweefie at juno.com <mailto:tweefie at juno.com> 
> >>> To: discussion at charlesvillage.info 
> <mailto:discussion at charlesvillage.info> 
> >>> Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2008 5:53 PM 
> >>> Subject: Re: [Discussion] Assessment gouging, and other tax >>> 
> nightmares. 
> >>> 
> >>> Im not sure what difference it makes, but I bet the estimation is 
> >>> probably pretty accurate. 
> >>> I have seen pictures of the houses on my street from when 
> Greenmount >>> Ave was a field. 
> >>> So, I tend to think the 100 year old label is right. 
> >>> 
> >>> 
> >>>>   
> >>>> Christine 
> >>>> 
> >>>> 
> >>>> 
> >>>> 
> >>>>   
> >>>> 
> >>>>   
> >>>>> 
> >>> 
> >> 
> > 
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