Thursday, November 19, 2009

The Woodstock Tax Man Cometh

Here's the news that you all have been awaiting! Will your taxes go up in Woodstock?

That black-bordered notice of doom appears this week in The Woodstock Independent. You know the one. "Notice of Proposed Property Tax Increase". That one.

If you want to get your two-cents' worth in, you'll want to keep Monday night, December 1st, free. "Free" is probably not the right word to use, but you know what I mean.

The standard, passion-less, annual, fill-in-the-blank, boiler-plate announcement can be read on Page 14 of the November 18, 2009, Independent. The public hearing will be December 1st at 7:00PM in City Council Chambers.

Read how innocuous and bland the second paragraph is... "Any person desiring to appear at the public hearing and present testimony to the taxing district may contact Finance Director, (sic) Roscoe Stelford between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., weekdays at 815/338-4300."

If I were writing notices for the City, I'd invite "Any person wishing to raise hell about a property tax increase during a depression and vent his anger at the City Council for even considering such a move should notify Finance Director Roscoe Stelford that he'll show up and tell it like it is."

The City is proposing to increase the amount of corporate and special purpose property taxes to be extended or abated by 10.8%.

What does "extend or abate" really mean? Does this mean it goes on the books as property taxes unpaid that will be collected in the future? Or does "abate" mean forgiven? If it is to be collected in the future, when will that magical future date be? And what will the economy be at that time?

Isn't this a time to freeze tax levels or even lower them?

The problem with that is the City has all of its expenses locked in and its employees want raises. Well, so do the rest of the folks. And they aren't getting raises. Some of them aren't even getting to keep their jobs!

Will anyone show up on Monday, December 1? I'll bet there won't be five residents there to complain!

3 comments:

Richard W Gorski, M.D. said...

I wonder what they pay to Zykowski,Flood and McCardle for legal fees each year and how much they have increased their fees for this comming year. Has any one ever investigated if another firm could do the job as well or better for less...I doubt it.

Another Lawyer said...

They are actually pretty cheap.

Gus said...

CORRECTION OF DAY. The public hearing will be on Tuesday night, not Monday night. Tuesday, December 1, 2009, at the beginning of the City Council meeting.