On tax bills, Rodney Barreto paid $190.17, Miguel DeGrandy paid $34.75, Kendrick Meek paid $8.98, Dorrin Rolle paid $5.20 and EVEN Vile County Commissioner Natacha Seijas paid $7! You might ask what did they pay for? The above amounts are how much each paid DIRECTLY to Everglades construction projects. So when I read in the Miami Herald yesterday that State funding is in jeopardy, I have to wonder why since it is a line item on our tax bill. What do they do, throw the money into the general fund? This money should be safe and separate.
Speaking of tax bills...look at this one above (Hit on it to increase its size) and let’s discuss it because you should know about certain thing--like the "Black Hole":
I took this tax bill at random from the city of Sweetwater. The home has a Market Value of $362,568 and a taxable value of $107.568. The person pays $2,569.39 in property taxes. The Inland Navigation charge is for dredging waterways, seawalls construction and repair on public properties etc. The South Florida Water Management District is the group that decides when water is released from the lake and is pretty much charged with water distribution. Although they are a separate taxing district we don’t get to vote on their board members — which to me is taxation without representation. Since the governor appoints them, the logic is: We voted for him so it is representation...Not to me, of course.
Now look at the county section: $806 goes to the county. The city gets $352. So 1/3 of this person taxes goes to the black hole: County Government. This person also pays a tremendous fee for Garbage, almost 1/5 of the tax bill.
I hope after this exercise you will pay more attention to the County spending because you are paying for it. By the way, here is a tax bill from a very rich person paying $119,220 in taxes and about $35,000 goes to the black hole of the County. The home sold for $6,800,000 in 2007. The taxable amount is $6,821,334. Before it sold, it was taxed on only $1,363,443 so you can see what a windfall, the State, County and City have been getting -- even during a down-turn. No wonder they can build stadiums with our money. And, don't hate rich people: This guy on Key Biscayne pays almost $55,000 for school taxes and you can bet his kid goes to private school.
9 comments:
I never really thought about my tax bill before this. I am lucky I am not rich, my house is valued at less than this person pays in taxes.
Good job Genius of educating the readers on the property tax bill. In my efforts to incorporate unincorporated areas into cities, I estimate 80% of the voters we talked to did not know how much of their property taxes went to the school board, countywide taxes or to provide municipal services. How surprised they were to find out in unincorporated Miami-Dade County that the taxes for municipal services other than fire services were only 12% of their property tax bill.
I only wish people would pay more attention to their tax bill. Thanks for the feedback. They just don't understand the importance of a simple gander at their bill. They are so quick to pass bonds issues but then they are paying for it on their bill.
I don't get the complaint.
You say that $800+ goes to the County and that must just go down the "black hole" of waste, fraud, etc. But in that example bill, nearly $250 is for Fire Rescue. $40 goes to the library, and the remaining $500 goes to everything else you want the County to do for you. That's "wasteful" stuff like provide parks, maintain our roads, keep our transit system running, feed the needy, etc. Heck, this person pays nearly that much just to have their garbage hauled away twice a week.
Think about what you do in your daily life and think about how much of that is touched by the County in some way.
Undoubtedly there are a million ways that things could be done better, but just saying that it all goes into a "black hole" is silly and meaningless.
Another important tax bill we don't get to pick apart: where your sales tax collections go. Or how about your income tax? Less and less has come back to you every year under this Republican reign of terror, meaning that state and Federal neglect forces local taxes to up just to shore up direct services.
Example: Clinton put truckloads of money into his "cops" program for local law enforcement. Lots of police were hired and crime went down. Bush cut the program and funding, but local government is under pressure to keep the same number of cops on the street. Now about 3/4 or more of city (or in the unincorporated area the "UMSA") tax goes to police departments. So without the Federal assistance, we have fewer cops on the street paid for out of a greater share of property taxes. That means less money for other services. Now apply this same formula to anti-poverty funds, road improvement, everglades restoration, flood protection, social services, public schools. This is oversimplified of course, but you get the point.
If you think people don't understand their property tax bill, try explaining that connection.
The guy on Key Biscayne -- he pays $35,000 to the county. I hope he is happy that his tax dollars are going to pay for the Marlins stadium what were they? The major league's worst record of 19-29. With the steroid use, baseball is not fun anymore. I hope the guy on Key Biscayne is happy that $4,550,000 a year goes into the County Commissioners slush funds that they dole out to non profits at election time to garner voters. I hope he is happy that money went to a bio tech park, the $2,000,000 a year we pay to Japan to exercise a train we have no tracks for, etc. There are enough questionable expenses to call it a black hole.
Everyone --except you --knows I am not referring to every single expense. I am referring to too many bad mistakes...from a dysfunctional layer of our government.
And, this is a local blog mostly focusing on the county, where the Herald is anemic.
Finally, it is our money no matter where they get it from so lets stop saying oh, it comes from the CRA or from tourists or a bond. It is our money all the same.
Please don't advocate electing board members for the water management district unless you want the quality of those serving to take a nose dive ! Electing means recruiting people off the street - at least by appointment they are screened, have background checks, are qualified and must undergo confirmation by the Florida Senate.
you mean like Nicolas Gutierrez? That is one qualified guy -- ick.
• Secretary and Director (9 terms), National Association of Sugar Mill Owners of Cuba
• Chairman, Property Rights Committee of the Cuban-American Bar Association's Cuban Law Project
• Secretary, The Sugar Industry of Cuba Institute
• General Counsel to the Cuban Association of the Tobacco Industry
• Member, Board of Directors of the National Association of Cuban Mineral and Petroleum Rights Holders
• Founder and President of the Bridge of Young Cuban Professionals
• Member, Committee for the Liberation of Guantánamo Detainees
And what about that little short woman Irela Bague, who was recently taken off -- her husband gave heavily to the Bush campaigns that is how she got appointed -- I think she had an associates degree when she was on. Ironic, making decisions for a bunch of Ph.D.'s.
Two really good choices. Give me a break.
So now you're advocating for a person who owns a $6.8 million home on Key Biscayne? Really? Keep that up, and Marco Rubio will be asking you to work on his campaign.
This taxpayer paid $22k to the Village of Key Biscayne. Think he/she got that much in service back? Think it was all well spent?
You're right about waste in County government. No excuses for the shameful stuff uncovered by the Herald. I'm glad that you're providing a forum for these discussions too. I just think holding up these two tax bills and trying to draw a=b=c from such generalities is silly.
God you readers make me sick. I am not advocating for anyone I am saying we have a right not to have our money wasted rich or poor. The rich actually use less of the services and pay a greater percentage.
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