Amendment will save average Pasco taxpayer $180

DADE CITY -- Pasco County taxpayers on average will save $180 on their bills this year if they have a homestead exemption, Property Appraiser Mike Wells told the County Commission this morning.

That applies to the county government's portion of taxes, so the savings could be somewhat higher if people live in cities, for example. The Florida average is $240, according to previous state estimates.

The savings come from additional cuts enacted by voters Jan. 29. Wells said his latest estimates show Pasco government will lose about 8 percent of its tax base after new construction and value increases are factored in.

That's somewhat lower than the state's 10 percent estimate late in 2007 -- causing a $18.6-million hit. But Wells and other officials suggested the difference comes from the new construction added to the tax rolls Jan. 1.

-- David DeCamp, staff writer

Comments

[Paul]

I would like to know how Paso county and all of the other counties that have had so much growth in the past few years why they haven't been able to lower the tax rates. There is no excuse for not being able to lower taxes. With the amount of new homes built and the increase in property values much more money has the county taken in in the past five years than it did in the five years prior.

example 1997 to 2002 = X $
2003 to 2007 = y $
How much of an increase in tax revenue over X is Y.

[kitty]

Paul, it's called infrastructure. Those streets they built for all those new homes needed concrete, lights, stop signs, etc. Those homes needed sewer and water lines installed. The families living in those homes needed schools and parks for their children. These things are expensive - and during the construction boom they were even more expensive, as anyone who undertook even a modest renovation could tell you.

Another very important aspect is Davis-Bacon. Private entities can (and do) take their chances and hire undocumented workers (they work cheap), but government entities are REQUIRED to abide by Davis-Bacon (legal residents aren't going to work for slave wages) for contracted work. Would you prefer those jobs go to undocumented workers so you can save a buck?

[cracker-boy]

On behalf of the thousands of workers across the state who will lose their jobs due to the ensuing budget cuts from the amendments' passing, I say thanks to all the greedy old pigs that voted for it. For a couple hundred bucks you're trashing peoples lively-hoods?! Hope you are real proud of yourselves, and pray that your not in a house on fire, or a home being invaded that can't be responded to due to lack of manpower. Oh, wait a minute, that would be karma; cool!

[tim]

Kitty - the streets, lights, etc. in the new subdivisions are paid for by the homeowners either through the price of the home or CDDs (Community Development Districts) ... not the county. When those streets need to be paved, the county will reluctantly do it and then assess each homeowner. Paul I agree that the municipalities have been spending like drunken sailors for the past few years and it needs to be brought under control. However, Amendment 1 isn't the solution .. a couple hundred bucks won't cover the annual increase in my homeowner's insurance.

[tim]

Speaking about spending like drunken sailors, I haven't heard much about Good Time Charlie and Mr. Rubio handing the University of Miami (a private school) $80 million in taxpayer money three days after passing Amendment 1 and after slashing the state university system's budget $147 million. If it looks like a pig, sounds like a pig and smells like a pig ... chances are it's a pig.

[Ken]

Paul;
Over the past few years Pasco County's milage rate went down, therefore your taxes most likely went down. The value of your home (investment) went up so therefore if you paid more taxes then the value of your home went up. If you homesteaded and applied the save our homes then the value of your home could only go up 3%. I've lived in my home for four years and my yaxes have droped every year. tax payers need to do the math, taxes were going down in Pasco Now the County will have no other choice than to raise your milage rate and taxes will go up.