That's "liberal" Massachusetts for you!
"Property tax bills climb as values dip; Facing tough economy, homeowners feel pinch" by Matt Carroll, Globe Staff | August 17, 2008
The average assessed value for single-family homes in Massachusetts fell for the first time in more than a decade last year, even as property tax bills continued to climb.
The combined drop in assessed values and continued tax increases is a double dose of bad news for homeowners at a time when they are already reeling from higher energy costs that could impose substantial hardships this winter.
In previous years, homeowners facing tax hikes could console themselves with the knowledge that their home's value had increased. But that's not the case this year, and it could get worse because of the sagging real estate market.
Real estate woes aside, 11 communities had homes with average assessed values of more than $1 million, led by Chilmark, at $1.7 million - which was down a fraction from last year. Four of the towns are on Martha's Vineyard.
One of those communities, Aquinnah, actually saw the largest percent gain in value, nearly 30 percent, to $1.3 million, although assistant assessor Angela Cywinski said the gains should more properly be spread over the past three years. The small town of 432 homes last year had a 1,500-square-foot waterfront property on six acres sell for $3.5 million.
Well, if this doesn't prove the Globe's elitism, I don't know what will.
The whole article again turned in to a "it's not so bad" piece.
Higher taxes, meantime, are never popular, regardless of valuation, and property owners in Massachusetts are increasingly weary of the steady increase. It's hard for homeowners to mentally adjust to falling assessments and rising taxes, after more than a decade of solid gains in values.
Translation: The public doesn't like getting screwed by the GOVERNMENT!
The situation makes it all that more difficult for financially beleaguered towns to persuade homeowners to raise taxes through overrides or other measures, said Michael J. Widmer, the president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. "The combination of declining property value and increasing property tax creates anxiety for people," he said.
There is THAT GUY again! He is in the Globe EVERY DAY!!!
They must not have liked his position on this issue since they saved his comment for the last paragraph.
Voters are increasingly reluctant to support tax overrides. Less than half of overrides passed over the last three years. Between 2000 and 2005, however, more than half passed.
See? they even try to spin that.
--more--"
Question 1 going down to defeat again.
Let the vote-rigging begin, 'eh?
