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Fulton Brock lies about tax increase he voted for

Fulton Brock lies about tax increase he voted for

 

Fulton Brock lies about tax increase he voted for

Fulton Brock lies about Maricopa County tax increase

Fulton Brock spins the BS and tries to convince us that him and the other tyrants on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors didn't raise our taxes.

In an article in the Arizona Republic on Aug 16, 2011 Michelle Ye Hee Lee reported that Maricopa County raised the property tax rates by 18 percent.

In the article that follows, which is from the East Valley Tribune on Aug 24, Fulton Brock spins a lie that him and his fellow tyrants on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors didn't raise our taxes.

That is 100 percent BS. If Fulton Brock had not voted to raise our taxes, the amount of property taxes people pay in Maricopa County would have dropped even more.

Source

Setting the record straight on Maricopa County taxes

Posted: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 5:00 pm

By Fulton Brock, guest commentary

Recent news coverage of the county levy left many with the misleading impression that the Maricopa Board of Supervisors increased property taxes across the county. While individual situations may vary, the fact is that taxes actually fell - by almost $22 million. [Yes the total amount of taxes fell, but the Maricopa County Superivisors still raised the tax rate. The total amount of taxes would have fell even more if the Supervisors had not raised the tax rate]

The Board of Supervisors has worked hard to be responsible with both taxes and spending. Our goal has been to reduce or keep county taxes flat on the average homeowner. We do this is by adjusting the tax rate. When home values are rising we reduce the tax rate. Conversely, the rate is increased when home values fall. [That is probably 100 percent BS. Like most politicians the Maricopa County Supervisors only know one word and that is TAX!]

This process keeps the county controlled portion of the property tax bill steady, resulting in little, if any, change in county taxes paid by the average homeowner.

I say "county taxes" because it is important to note that Maricopa County controls only 10 percent to 15 percent of the property tax bill. [Yea, but the Supervisors still raised the taxes on the 10 to 15 percent of the tax they control]

The rest is controlled by others, such as cities and towns, school districts and numerous special taxing districts that deliver services ranging from irrigation to fire protection to health care.

Others may have raised taxes, but on the portion of the tax bill we control, we've kept taxes as low as possible. In 12 of the past 14 years we've cut or maintained the tax rate. [Which means in 1 out of every 7 years they have RAISED taxes]

The rate today is nearly 11 percent lower than when I first took office and consequently we have among the lowest property taxes of any major metropolitan area in the West.

Like the average household, Maricopa County balances its budget by controlling spending. Since 2008, we have reduced spending by almost $120 million and eliminated 2,000 positions.

On top of that, we have been forced to transfer another $175 million to the state to help balance its budget. That is an astronomical amount of money that represents a direct pass-through of county resources to the state and translates into 10 cents of the county's $1.26 rate.

Because Maricopa County collects all of the taxes imposed upon property within our borders, we are an easy target of taxpayer anger and frustration. If we really did raise taxes in the fashion implied, we would be deserving of criticism.

Thankfully, that was not the case.

• Fulton Brock has been a member of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors since 1997. Reach him at (602) 506-1776.

Source

Maricopa County raises property-tax rate by 18%

by Michelle Ye Hee Lee - Aug. 16, 2011 12:00 AM

The Arizona Republic

Maricopa County on Monday increased its property-tax rate by 18 percent for fiscal 2012.

But due to decreased property values, county officials believe most residents will see minimal change in what they owe in the county primary tax portion of their tax bill.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors unanimously decided to raise its property-tax rate from $1.05 to $1.24 per $100 of net assessed valuation. But the median assessed home value has decreased in value from $147,000 to $124,500, according to county officials. That is a 15.3 percent decrease.

The increased tax rate and lowered home valuations will balance out the median household's tax bill. Residents whose homes have fallen at the same 15.3 percent rate will see a flat tax bill from last year, with secondary county taxes included.

Other residents may see a slightly higher or lower tax bill, based on the assessment of their homes. For residents whose home values remained flat or did not decrease as must as the median household value has, the county-controlled portion of their tax bills could be higher.

The Board of Supervisors also increased the tax rates for the county's Flood Control District and Library District.

But overall, the county will see a $21.7 million decrease in revenue from property-tax levies because of decreased assessed home values across the Valley.


Andy Kunasek also lies about reducing property taxes

More government double speak - Raising taxes is really lowering them. At least that's what liars Andy Kunasek and Fulton Brock want us to believe.

Andy Kunasek says Maricopa County lowered it's tax rate, when they actually raised the tax rate by 18%!

One good question for both Andy Kunasek and Fulton Brock is "How much would my property tax bill have decreased if Maricopa County had not lowered the property tax?" as these liars claim.

Source

County actually raised taxes by 18%

Aug. 27, 2011 12:00 AM

I recently read a Republic story that said the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted to increase property-tax rates by 18 percent, from $1.05 per $100 of assessed valuation to $1.24 per $100 of assessed valuation ("Maricopa County raises property-tax rate by 18 percent," Aug. 16).

Then I read a Q&A with County Supervisor Andy Kunasek who says that "we didn't raise taxes, we actually cut them" ("Into the mind of Andy Kunasek," Aug. 20)

Maricopa County is floating its tax rate up on decreasing home values in order to maintain its current level of property-tax income. This is a tax increase.

The fact of the matter is that the county did raise its property-tax rate by 18 percent on assessed value.

Shame on the county for trying to say it didn't raise taxes when officials know they did just that.

Paul Ieronimo
Phoenix


Source

Into the mind of Andy Kunasek

Aug. 20, 2011 12:00 AM

The Arizona Republic

1. Why did the board increase the property-tax rate 18 percent?

We didn't raise taxes; we actually cut them by more than $21 million, or 3.7 percent. Rates and values go up and down every year, but what really matters is the actual tax that you see on your bill. A more accurate headline would have been "County lowers taxes," but that's not as catchy.

2. Did the board consider further downsizing county government rather than raising the property-tax rate?

We did. We have. This year specifically, we cut $17 million. Since 2008, we have cut our general-fund operating budget by almost $119 million and cut almost 2,000 positions. We've been cutting since the economic crisis began, earlier than virtually any other government - as reported in your own paper.

3. The county has healthy fund balances; why not use some of that to offset declining revenues?

Instead of using reserves or using gimmicks, we actually cut spending in response to declining revenues. That's the way it should be done. It's good for government to downsize, get rid of some of the programs that exist out of habit, not need. The reserve is primarily for critical capital improvements, like moving the sheriff's headquarters from the expensive Wells Fargo building and into a new, county-owned space or replacing the old 911 call center that's falling apart, and for catastrophic, unforeseen emergencies or disasters. I'm proud of this.

4. Will we see commensurate decreases in property-tax rates when home values begin to rise?

Yes. During the big housing-value increases, we decreased the rate by 25 percent. We have never increased the rate when property values went up.

5. How has the board's relationship with the county attorney and sheriff changed in the past year?

I can't speak for my colleagues, but for me, the relationships have never been better. Joe's new leadership team has been great. The sheriff told them to fix the messes identified over the past year or so, and I'm happy to say they're doing it with real enthusiasm. As for County Attorney Bill Montgomery, I really can't say enough good things about him. Sharp, articulate, honest; he's a breath of fresh air, and we're lucky to have him at the county.

6. What are the biggest challenges the county will face in the year ahead?

We need to promote job creation. Business does it best, but government can play a role by getting out of the way and creating a more friendly business climate. In the near term, the state of Arizona is our single largest threat to our fiscal stability. Since 2008, Maricopa County has absorbed $175 million in state programs or "voluntary" contributions to the state budget. Not easy.

7. What have you been reading this summer?

The Arizona Republic, and sometimes I even enjoy it. And "Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman."

 


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