1.25 Coral Gables
1.15 South Miami
2.52 Pinecrest
2.18 Palmetto Bay
0.01 Cutler Bay
1.48 Countywide (will affect your countywide
portion of your tax bill)
2.24 School Board
Those who saw reduction:
(0.78) Unincorporated Miami-Dade (UMSA)
(3.71) Homestead
Reasons for increase in value:
The recent property assessments are a result of a
stabilizing real estate market and, according to the County Property appraiser;
“Coastal municipalities with a concentration of high-end properties experienced
the most growth in property values, while others had only negligible changes.
Other areas continued to experience declines, but at a significantly lower rate
than in the previous four years, indicating that those areas too ‘may have
turned the corner and property values are stabilizing…”’
So it looks like the usual rule of real estate applies
as to the credit for the areas that saw an increase – “location, location,
location.” Palmetto Bay does enjoy its
unique access to the water in city and county parks as well as the location
within the Palmetto High School feeder pattern.
The assigned schools significantly add to the value of area homes.
Time to reduce the millage rate?
It may be time for
the Palmetto Bay Council to reduce the property tax rate to all its property
tax payers. It is not symbolic. We heard for years that the $5 to $20 rebate
means nothing to a typical homeowner.
That is one argument, but it is far from the entirety of the arguments
to be considered. Even after years of dropping values, which brought some
equity between those recent purchasers and long standing homeowners who were
shielded by Save Our Homes, businesses are still suffering and the local
business stand much more to gain that $5 to $20 in rebates.
Besides, businesses
don’t look as to the amount reduced as the determining factor as to whether
they can afford to relocate to or stay in a certain municipality. The first indicator is what is the property
tax millage rate and whether it goes up, down or stays the same.
This is not an issue
of “drinking the kool aid.” It is all about making a rational determination of
when you have enough money and not incentivizing waste to spend what you have
to prevent reducing revenues. Palmetto
Bay operated the first eight years under the theory of “government lite” and currently
has benefit of an outstanding manager, finance director and the team of department
directors who do so well on a relatively light budget.
The policy for the
current council should not be to stray and go for big city, big costs model.
Capital
improvement program is complete/too much money can be tempting to misspend:
This current village
council has to be mindful that they need to properly budget annual operating
recurring revenue to properly maintain what was/is built out of savings or
grants.
The capital program
has been completed. The current Mayor’s
recent ill-advised Thalatta expansion plan is off the table and the Parking
Garage appears to have met the same fate, so it appears time to adjust down the
annual tax bill. The reserves and
contingency funds are far above that is required or even recommended. There have been no significant efforts to
upgrade services in the last two years by the current council. The availability of this money appeared to be
too much a temptation for project mischief.
Let’s remove the incentive to spend due to huge pools of money being
available to the present and future councils.
Thank you again to
Council Members Howard Tendrich and
Patrick Fiore who have been very judicious, very conservative, in their
spending of our tax dollars.
There
are areas of the budget that could use enhancements:
This is not to say
that there are not areas where services need to be improved. There are.
Palmetto Bay could use additional officers for the policing unit and
funding for more anti-burglary and youth programs. Parks could use additional funding to
maintain what we have, rather than simply replacing every few years. Parks could also use additional funding for
increasing park hours for Thalatta, so we, the little people who don’t rent,
can have more opportunity to enjoy what puts “the bay back in Palmetto Bay.” The first eight years of Palmetto Bay saw a
tremendous improvement in facilities. It
is time for real effort being made on the next step, keep up those improvements
as well as taking a real next step in better programing to maximize the use of
those improved facilities. And of course, one of my personal favorites: how about funding for a few more family movie nights!
There
are many items of suggested funding. Priorities
are ever-changing:
The above is merely a
partial list, not an exhaustive list.
What are your ideas for improvements? More funding to keep the drainage
construction program flowing? Do we need
more or less code enforcement? Reduce building permit fees? How about construction of bike paths or bike
lanes (or golf cart) for village controlled roadways or additional bike safety
programs and bike safety/awareness street signage?
Initial
estimate released June 1:
The Miami-Dade
Property Appraiser issued the June 1, 2012 Estimates of Taxable Value to
Miami-Dade County's Taxing Authorities.
This allows the County, School Board, and local governments such as Coral
Gables, South Miami, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay, and Homestead to proceed
with the preparation of their 2012-2013 budgets.
Final
Property Roll to be released July 1.
July 1st the Property Appraiser’s Office will
publish the 2012 Preliminary Assessment Roll, which provides the taxing
authorities with their official numbers to set their millage (tax) rates.
Per the official
release: The countywide estimate of
taxable value for 2012 is $189,731,000,000 which is 1.48 percent more than the
2011 figure of $186,962,023,337. A breakdown of the data by
municipality shows
that some areas have experienced increases in property values, others have
remained statistically flat, and a few have seen values decline, albeit at a
slower rate than in previous years.
Overall the data points to a real
estate market that is stabilizing Mr. Garcia said in a news
release.
Property taxes could drop like a rock if common sense could even bring about an end to the litigation.
ReplyDeleteMore money to open Thalatta park full hours.
ReplyDeleteHow about free summer camp for Palmetto Bay residents?
ReplyDeleteWhen will the fountain be replaced at the dog park?
ReplyDeleteNo more legal expenses!
ReplyDeleteWe need property tax relief.
ReplyDeleteHow about an end to park user fees? Why should I have to pay to use the tennis courts? My tax dollars paid for the courts and Jane Forman is not longer there. It is time to eliminate park fees. It probably costs the village more in salaries for the employees per hour than they collect in fees anyone. The tennis courts can be open for whoever wants to use it, whenever they want to use it, first come, first serve.
ReplyDeleteI like this comment. Why should we have to pay. Why does the Palmetto Bay government think they have to make a profit on everything. Just like that stupid Thalatta Park wedding plan. What is next, a fee to fly a kite?
DeleteWhy did Palmetto Bay take the pool out of the bayfront park? It should have been a community pool where all our Palmetto Bay youth or seniors could have gathered for different water related activities. There could have been community swimming or water safety lessons there. Waterareobics for the seniors. What a shame. I guess that Shelley Stanczyk thinks only about the money she wanted to make on weddings, and cares little for the kids and seniors of our area.
ReplyDeleteI am hoping that Mayor Stanczyk follows through on the promise of cutting the building permit fees as recommended by the Building and Permitting Committee. Then you will see some real economic development when people can afford to build. Residential and commercial construction throughout Palmetto Bay will take off like never seen before.
ReplyDeleteWe need more movie nights.It is almost like this current Mayor and Council hate kids.
ReplyDeleteThe village needs to spend for drainage on 87th avenue between 184 and 168 streets. It always floods in heavy rains.
ReplyDeleteIs the Palmetto Bay real estate tax an add-on to the Miami-Dade County real estate tax, or is the Miami-Dade tax reduced because of the additional Palmetto Bay tax? Hopefully, the total real estate tax payable by a Palmetto Bay resident is about the same or less than what would have been payable if Palmetto Bay had never been created.
ReplyDeleteAll areas pay multiple property taxes - Library, fire, Countywide, SFWMD. etc. Even the unincorporated area, known as UMSA. Palmetto Bay taxpayers would still be paying the UMSA tax if not incorporated.
DeleteYes, but are the total property taxes payable by a Palmetto Bay taxpayer less now than if there had been no incorporation? The two stated goals of incorporation were reduced taxes and increased services. Whether services have increased is an arguable point, but I will assume they have increased for purposes of this question only, leaving the only issue being whether taxes have been in fact reduced.
DeleteYes, but are the total property taxes payable by a Palmetto Bay taxpayer less now than if there had been no incorporation? The two stated goals of incorporation were reduced taxes and increased services. Whether services have increased is an arguable point, but I will assume they have increased for purposes of this question only, leaving the only issue being whether taxes have been in fact reduced.
ReplyDelete