Elminate Property Taxes

CUT TAXES NOW!

State lawmaker pitches plan to eliminate property taxes

State Representative Frank Attkisson (R-St. Cloud) is developing a plan to place a citizen's initiative on the ballot for November 8, 2008 to achieve real and meaningful tax relief all. It is long overdue. The St. Pete Times, see:

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/08/01/State/State_lawmaker_pitche.shtml

reported that Representative Attkisson is working with others to develop ballot proposal that would replace all property taxes with a statewide sales tax as well as other proposals intended to further decrease overall tax collections.

Cut Taxes Now, CTN, members and citizens across Florida continue to express extreme dissatisfaction with the so-called tax relief passed in Tallahassee so far. For example:

The 3-9% tax cuts passed in May appear to be producing little to no tax relief as local governments override the caps with supermajority votes (as has happened in Largo).
The Save Our Homes cap still allows a 3% increase despite decreases in property values based on residual rising property values from previous years.
In some parts of the state, sellers are offering bonuses like televisions, cars and other perks to encourage sales in a depressed real estate market. These incentives are being added to the value of the property to artificially increase property values in order to increase tax.
In some parts of the state, local governments seem to have forgotten how to properly prioritize their programs. Instead they are cutting, of all things, highly important public safety jobs rather than targeting such items as corporate welfare programs, failed social welfare programs, excessive government worker pension and health benefits and areas of obvious mismanagement. Cut Taxes Now Chair, Dr. McKalip, was interviewed by Bay News 9 on July 30 to discuss this topic. He noted that, "We think the cuts that are being offered by local government are politically motivated to generate sympathy for government so the government won't have to cut any more taxes in the future". http://baynews9.com/content/36/2007/7/30/276343.html?title=Property+tax+reform+has+consequences.

Proposed Amendments

The Super homestead exemption, planned for the January 2008, will reduce property tax only for homestead properties. But homesteaders have not been the ones that have actually been paying the high taxes, unless they purchased their homes recently. It is the non-homestead property owners who have been bearing an unfair burden. So it seems that Representative Attkisson would like to take matters into his own hands and will work to enable all citizens to have a say next November 8. While a sales tax replacement of property taxes may be a good solution for tax relief , another could be a "Proposition 13" style flat property tax similar to that passed in California in the 70's.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_13_(1978)

Under such a proposal a flat 1-2% tax could be placed on all property...homesteaders and non-homesteaders would pay the same. The percentage rate could be set to effectively achieve a 20-30% tax reduction around the state in property taxes...akin to having let the property taxes grow by inflation and population since 2000.

Cut Taxes Now is working with several experienced allies around the state on an 11/08 initiative campaign and will reach out to the Representative on this as well. Whatever happens, it will take commitment and funding from average citizens. Most politicians certainly won't do it, except maybe Rep. Attkisson who will help citizens go around the elected officials who won't act for the voters that put them in office.