County Government

After years of arguing with the County about property taxes being over evaluated and losing the battles, the dawn has come to me. There would be statements that your property is evaluated properly. If you could show where your property had just cause to get a lower valuation submit reasons and consideration would be taken. After that step in which the powers that be would consider your evaluation again a judgment would be done. Isn’t it convenient that the department that judges your evaluation, judges whether or not the valuation of your property is correct and should be adjusted? If there is further concern about your evaluation one process is to find, as I was told, 10 houses in your neighborhood that sold for less within the past three years, then adjustments could be made. Well indeed there were numerous houses sold that were well below assigned property value. When notified of the addresses, all of which were not only in the neighborhood but on one street, these properties were brought to the attention of the County via telephone. One reason after another was given as to why these houses were exceptions to the valuations. These “reasons” varied from; foreclosed to divorce to abandoned etc. to what was perceived as no reason is viable to reduce the evaluation of your property, or you can have an outside building inspector evaluate the structure at your expense and this may not be accepted.    

The light became apparent. It doesn’t matter what the true value of the property, what matters is the income needed to operate the government. No matter the valuation, it is not based on the selling value of the property but what the County believes they can get from the property owner to have enough to maintain employment and salary levels. Unless the people stand up and let these political forces know that we are tired of the Frank Russos and Jimmy DiMoras, and DiMora himself said he did nothing anyone else wasn’t doing, so one must assume, if Dimora was truthful in that statement, that similar individuals still occupy government positions, these entities will continue to abuse the offices that they hold along with the people in their political areas. When someone accepts an influential gratuity from anyone interested in say a construction project, the low bid is generally guaranteed and then returned to the contractor with the so called compensation for cost overruns, which if looked at, are higher than most of the rejected bids. Guess who pays for these public constructions and the overruns. That is how both entities enjoy economic gain and the public says that is the cost of the project. No, actually that is the excessive cost of government projects. Arrogance seems to follow many in a position of authority. What they fail to realize is that they are our employees not our employers. Where is Carl Monday when you need him?  

Articles such as this can be written on a regular basis and they will prove of no benefit. What will make a difference is if you get up off of your soft couch and let the politicos realize you mean to take action. Until you take action, nothing will be done. What can one person do? The answer is plenty. If the forces that be feel in jeopardy they will take corrective action. Think for a second; for evil to succeed all it takes is for good people to do nothing  

Leo Lampeter

retired looking to create cotroversy

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Volume 7, Issue 3, Posted 11:36 PM, 03.01.2015