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Portability would ease the tax burden of homeowners

Re: Your neighbor's tax bill, March 26 Times:

I do not agree that current residents should have to pay the same amount in property taxes as new residents moving into our areas. The new residents make the informed decision to pay taxes based on the current tax base, when they sell their current homes and move to new homes. They have a choice, whereas many current residents have no choice if they are not wealthy enough to be able to move because of the impact on their limited incomes.

They are caught in the middle, because many can't afford the maintenance of their larger homes, but they cannot afford the new tax base either. The Portability Act would allow these people to be able to move to smaller homes and free up the larger existing homes to be resold at the current tax base.

Every day, my job as a reverse mortgage specialist for seniors puts me in front of people who can't afford to live on their current fixed incomes. When they come to me, they are doing the only thing they can to stay in their homes and stop the heavy outflow of income to increased taxes, medical and homeowners insurance and any other institutional entity that comes along and decides they need more money.

These residents who came here and put their hard-earned dollars into these communities to establish and help support the towns, communities and government agencies, should have the benefit of the Save Our Homes tax cap. They are still shouldering the burden of new homeowners coming into the area through higher electric, water, sewer, school taxes and any number of fees the county can dream up. Why should they have to add more to the tax base on the home they have already homesteaded? It should not be viewed as the current homeowner getting a break but as the current homeowner getting hit for the new homeowners coming in.

No one can completely stop the onslaught of new growth in an area, but if these people want to come to these areas, they need to realize that their entry into the community puts a greater burden on those who cannot afford to buy the "new and improved" house they just bought because their incomes are already stretched beyond reasonable limits.

Many homeowners (myself included) would love to downsize and reduce some of the expenses they have in maintaining a larger home, but the new taxes they would have to pay force them to live in a home that might be harder to maintain, especially with dwindling income for retirees.

Yes, homeowners might realize a sizeable profit on their homes, but that is a one-time influx of money, and with the new prices out there, they generally have to use all of it to buy half of what they had.

Rep. Fred Brummer doesn't seem to look beyond the dollars in front of his face, to the continuing impact on homeowners as they age and as government continues to take from them.

Again, I see people day in and day out who will end up having to move in with family, move out of state or have to choose between medicine, food or paying taxes on their homes. Let's try to do something for these people for a change; we all know the government will always find a way to get its money. Let's let these people move to homes they can afford to maintain and allow portability of their Save Our Homes protection so they can adjust their income to allow them a little better life, instead of trying to suck up every dollar they can squeeze out.

Low tax disparity isn't same as low tax base

Re: Your neighbor's tax bill, March 26 Times:

One map indicates that Timber Pines, a retirement community in Spring Hill, as having a low (6.4 to 121/2 percent) tax disparity. Some Hernando County residents might misunderstand and assume that Timber Pines has the lowest tax base in the county. That assumption has been made in the past and nothing could be further from the truth.

We, being a retirement community, have a higher-than-average turnover rate, and therefore our taxes get re-evaluated more often. This results in all of our homes paying almost the same in taxes.

In addition, although we pay a full share of the county's tax assesment we receive no police patrol or road maintenance services.

Inflated home prices put strain on taxpayers

Re: Your neighbor's tax bill, March 26 Times:

Thanks to the tax cap law (Save Our Homes), I can remain in my home at High Point. I hope they do not change the law, as I probably could not afford the additional tax.

At High Point, a doublewide mobile home that sold for $46,000 on Sept. 2, 2002, just sold for $103,000. I am sure they probably have made some improvements, but I doubt the improvements totaled anywhere near $57,000. At today's inflated prices, I probably could sell my home for more than double what I paid.

However, I want to enjoy my life here, not make a profit. I live here half the year and in New Hampshire the other half. So, I pay taxes in both states and I am happy to do so. I do not use the homestead exemption in Florida; I pay the full amount of property taxes.

I cannot believe that newcomers are paying these ridiculously inflated prices for mobile homes. They have no common sense! Some insurance companies will not cover the inflated prices, therefore the insurance companies might help to control sales.

I would hate to pay higher taxes on a 27-year-old mobile home because people who have no common sense and buy property that is so highly inflated. Two years from now, that property will most likely not be worth what they paid.

For Marines' charity, it's a deal that keeps on giving

Re: Marines' charity rewarded with toil, March 15 Times:

With great pleasure Marine Corps League, Spring Hill Detachment 708 announces that the Hernando County Commission and Hernando County Fair Association have reached an agreement that benefits all parties.

At a meeting at the detachment headquarters Monday, the commission, represented by chairwoman Diane Rowden, and the detachment, represented by commandant Eric Jude and Bob Ross, Toys for Tots director, and other involved detachment members, agreed that this longstanding program sponsored by the Marine Corps Reserves will, in Hernando County, be a program where the entire community will give in order for the program to be a continuing success.

During the meeting it was agreed that the building used at the fairgrounds to assemble and distribute new toys to thousands of Hernando children will be provided to the Marines' Toys for Tots program. Don Stewart, the new warden at the Hernando County Jail, has volunteered the use of inmates to the fairgrounds to offset the time and costs associated with the building's use. Stewart and his associates, Russell Washburn, assistant warden, and Steve England, director of facility maintenance, also attended Monday's meeting. All three are with Corrections Corporation of America.

The bottom line: The residents and business graciously give toys and dollars to the Toys for Tots program, the Marine Corps League coordinates and gives to the children, the county and the fairgrounds give use of their facility and the jail gives to the community by helping to make the fairgrounds a more updated and safe environment for county events and activities.

The circle has been completed. Smiles and handshakes went around as these new arrangements were agreed upon.

[Last modified March 29, 2006, 01:23:20]