Dec 17, 2007 8:18 pm US/Eastern
Group Rallies Support For Property Tax Reform
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
Fed up with skyrocketing property taxes and no foreseeable solutions a grassroots group has launched a property tax reform campaign.
Throwing a tea party of their own, Jose Valladares, along with supporters, put bags of tea on the floor, which is where they want property tax levels to be at.
"You think that $250 is going to cut it for you? I don't think so," said Valladares. "It's certainly not going to move any kind of economy anywhere."
Fair Property Tax for All, Inc, a non-partisan, not-for profit organization, is seeking support for a constitutional amendment that would limit taxes on all properties to 1.35% of the taxable value.
The group claims the
Property Tax Cap Constitutional Petition Amendment would provide an estimated $8-billion in property tax relief, or a 26-percent tax cut on average. It would also preserve the Save Our Homes tax cap and all other Homestead exemptions by applying the cap to a parcel's Taxable Value – the "Just Value" minus "Save Our Homes" and Exemptions equals Taxable Value.
The group's proposal would also limit the yearly increase to 3-percent or to the Consumer Price Index, whichever is less based on the prior year. The value of improvements and additions would be added to the market value.
The amendment would also base the exemption on the median price of single family homes and will be applied at the city or county level. Each year the exemption will change exactly in the same quantity as the market value minus the percentage of increase in taxable value.
The group says their proposal would give the same protection to all homeowners and end the inequality of neighbors with properties of the same value paying different amounts.
In order for the amendment to be placed on the ballot in November, the group must gather 611-thousand signed petitions state-wide before January 31, 2008.
Monday, on the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party in 1773, members of Fair Property Tax plan to rally public support at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium at 2901 West Flagler Street from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. as a symbol of rebellion against unfair taxes.
During the rally, not only will they help supporters fill out petitions but also hold a voter registration drive. Miami City Commissioner Tomas Regalado was also on-hand at the event.
Click Here if you would like to download a petition.
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