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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 20, 2007

Inequities Remain

Regarding 'Helping Those With No Complaints Wrong Way To Spell Tax Relief' (Our Opinion, Oct. 12):

The proposed Florida property tax plan does nothing to address the inequities. If anything, the plan will increase the percentage of tax that I am paying compared to my neighbor, not decrease it!

The main problem with the current tax system is that it has a built-in inequity. I am currently paying about twice as much as my neighbors who have similar homes. There is a relatively simple solution to relieve the problem of inequity: Give a larger exemption to those people who are paying close to full value but not to everyone, as is called for in the proposed solution.

For example, the proposal is that the homestead exemption goes from $25,000 to $50,000. Although that will decrease my total taxes, it will increase the inequity. If both my home and my neighbor's have a just value at the same amount, but his appraised value is half mine, a $25,000 increase in the exemption would have me paying even more of a percentage of total taxes!

If you want to fix the problem, fix the inequity.

STEVEN DiFIORE

Tampa

Just Reduce The Rate

Taxes went up when property evaluation increased. A simple and easy way to reduce taxes is to reduce the tax rate. At this time, this is the simplest and most equitable way. The factors used would be set to obtain results needed.

PHILIP PACE

Riverview

Unfairness Built In

In Florida, property tax will never be fair to all property owners. Proof of this is as close as the daily news releases from our Legislature.

Homesteaded properties are given special treatment since they are the majority of voters in Florida. They are being catered to with 'feel good' promises and legislation. Part-time residents (non-homestead residential property), second homes and commercial property owners are treated like stepchildren who can be used and abused at will by the Florida Legislature.

The property tax solutions being proposed by the Legislature will only create more inequities in the property tax structure that will have to be addressed in a few more years. Property owners that have enjoyed the Save Our Homes legislation since the 1990s have benefited from low property taxes for many years. The complaints being levied now from people moving to Florida and those Florida residents who want to move but don't like the property tax on the new purchase know what they are getting into before they buy.

ROBERT A. WEISMAN

Tampa

Bring On Exemption

Regarding 'Not Everybody Needs A Tax Break' (Other Views, Oct. 11) and 'Helping Those With No Complaints Wrong Way To Spell Tax Relief' (Our Opinion, Oct. 12):

We bought our house in Valrico in 1985 for $95,000. In the past 22 years we have paid approximately $40,000 in property taxes - almost half the original purchase price. I shall respectfully disagree with the editorials saying I need no tax relief. Bring on the $50,000 exemption!

KARYN HEDGPETH

Valrico

Look Long Term

What about the couple who has lived in their house for more than nine years and wants to stay in it? I'm sorry, but not everyone wants to move. I like where I live, and the current Save Our Homes provision helps us save our home. I just hope taxpayers understand that if we pass this new change, we eliminate the 3 percent Save Our Homes cap, which helps save their homes in the long run.

Yes, in the short term you will save money, but in the long run if you have lived in your house and want to stay in it, you will be paying a lot more for taxes.

MICHELLE DAMIANO

Largo

Portability No Panacea

You forgot one scenario: the growing family that couldn't wait until 2007 and had to buy a bigger house in 2006.

My taxes went from $2,700 to $10,500. Under the superexemption plan, my taxes would have been approximately $6,400, according to the Hillsborough County property appraiser. Now, under this poorly crafted portability act, my taxes will be approximately $9,900.

The superexemption was not meant to take Save Our Homes, which gave instant relief to everyone regardless of when you bought your home. This portability act proposal does nothing for those of us who bought our houses during the boom or 'on the way down.' The additional $25,000 in homestead exemption saves me another $400 off my tax bill. Somehow that doesn't feel real meaningful to me.

This legislation continues to enable the inequities of the past at the expense of those of us unfortunate enough to have bad timing.

Guess I'll move again - out of Florida.

STEVE BUNCH

Tampa

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