The Taxes are Done and off to the Tax Guy for Filing.

[Crackpot]

Round here the "taxable" value is approx 50% of actual value

[rubato]

"...
I don't know anything about your state, but in California if you believe your home is worth less than its assessed price you can go to your County Assessor and have it reappraised. But you have to be careful because they could assess it at an even higher price and then you're stuck with it.

In Santa Cruz country they automatically re-assess properties when values drop overall. We are paying > $2,000 less per year. You can appeal if you think they have made a mistake and they will look at your particular lot.

yrs,
rubato

[oldr_n_wsr]

Over $5000 of my property taxes go to the school district. I remember a while back there was a budget vote that they said if we don't vote yes, then the austerity budget would cause taxes to rise more than the presented budget.

How is that possible?

PS
I rarely vote yes on the budget.

[Sue U]

Here in NJ, the state mandates that all properties be assessed at fair market value for local tax purposes, and after our town's reassessment last year my property taxes (town, county and school) dropped >$1500. But we moved to this town specifically for its excellent school system, and even paying the higher rate it was still cheaper than sending three kids to private schools (and I have a problem with private schools to begin with). Yes, we pay a lot in taxes, but we get a lot in services and I have little complaint about how my local tax dollars are spent.

[oldr_n_wsr]

and even paying the higher rate it was still cheaper than sending three kids to private schools (and I have a problem with private schools to begin with).

Well, if one decides to send their kid to private school (I went to Catholic school my first 8 years and went into public high school above the average teaching when I entered in ninth grade) they are less a burden to the taxpayers yet they get no deduction.

Yes, we pay a lot in taxes, but we get a lot in services and I have little complaint about how my local tax dollars are spent.

But I hope you keep an eye on those expenses as they are your dollars being spent. My town (Brookhaven) failed miserably during the past snowstorm. Roads not plowed even once for four days. Fingers are being pointed all over hte place, but basically the town supervisor was in Jamaica (not Queens Jamaica but "beaches" Jamaica) before, during and after the storm. He says he has no control over the twon highway department. The town highway superintendent was holed up in his house with a toothache from that friday until tuesday and has since resigned and gone back to his "lower" job which pays him more with much less responsibility. Keep an eye on these a$$holes as they will be the first to say, "we need more money".

[Crackpot]

$5000 is that yearly? I hope you added a 0.

[oldr_n_wsr]

$5000 is that yearly? I hope you added a 0.

At least $5K (no added zero).
Property taxes are around $7K per year of which about $5K per year goes to the school district. I might be off by a hundred or two either way (on the school taxes) and the $7K was last years total, so this years will be more. They never go down.
Welcome to Long Island.

"But it's for the kids, how can you be against the kids!?!?!?!?"

[Sue U]

The average homeowner in my town pays just under $5,000 ($4,767) a year in school district taxes (it's a little over 53% of the property tax bill). Why, what are you paying?

[Crackpot]

I think it is about $700 but I could be thinking of my old place. Same percentage tho.

[Sue U]

Well, if one decides to send their kid to private school ... they are less a burden to the taxpayers yet they get no deduction.

I am perfectly fine with that. I view public schools and schooling as a vitally important responsibility in being an American, and I oppose giving any incentives to abandon public schools.

My town (Brookhaven) failed miserably during the past snowstorm. Roads not plowed even once for four days. Fingers are being pointed all over hte place,

My town and county have been terrific in this regard. I live on an extremely low-priority street and even during the Snowpocalypse my little cul-de-sac was cleared before 10 a.m.

[oldr_n_wsr]

The average homeowner in my town pays just under $5,000 ($4,767) a year in school district taxes (it's a little over 53% of the property tax bill). Why, what are you paying?

I am close to 60% from what I remember. I would have to look to be sure. But from the preliminary numbers LI and NJ are similar.

I am perfectly fine with that. I view public schools and schooling as a vitally important responsibility in being an American, and I oppose giving any incentives to abandon public schools.

I see public schools similarly, but I think those sending kids to private schools should get some kind of break as their kids are no longer a burden to the tax structure. Not a full reimbursement but something.

My town and county have been terrific in this regard. I live on an extremely low-priority street and even during the Snowpocalypse my little cul-de-sac was cleared before 10 a.m.

Wish I had similar stories.
They had to close the Long Island Expressway (state road) on Sunday (and portions of monday) in order to plow it. Which I had no problem with however. Many roads in the town of Brookhaven were not plowed until monday or tuesday. My Brothers street was one of them. They (the leaders of Brookhaven) were all over LIPA (electric power) during hte outages from Sandy, and now they are all trying to dodge the bullet from the snowstorm. Granted it was almost three feet, but the town exec was on vacation and the guy in charge of highways had a toothache and was absent the whole time. Don't know who was in charge.

We pay money to these people for them to do their jobs. Granted, shit happens, but when tens of thousands of people are unable to even leave their homes (not due to them not clearing their driveways) something is wrong and we are not getting any value for our tax dollar.

[Guinevere]

The budget split in my town between general municipal and schools is 48/52 (or is it 42/58) -- either ways more than half of my property tax payment, and personal property tax payment, and every other payment I make to the town that doesn't go into a specific fund, is spent in that ratio.

[Jarlaxle]

$5000 is that yearly? I hope you added a 0.

Dude I work with pays twice that. This spring, hes walking away if it doesnt sell...its just not worth it anymore.

[rubato]

"...
I see public schools similarly, but I think those sending kids to private schools should get some kind of break as their kids are no longer a burden to the tax structure. Not a full reimbursement but something.
... "

By your reasoning people with no kids should pay less. As someone with no kids, I disagree. Some costs are supposed to be distributed across the population no matter who gets the immediate benefit.

yrs,
rubato

[oldr_n_wsr]

I don't disagree. My kids are out of the public school system and I still feel we need to support our district (how much is open to debate). I do think that those who send their kids to private schools should get some kind of property tax break, again, how much is open to discusion.

[Crackpot]

I would limit the deduction to the time the child is attending private school