DeKalb homeowner to school board: ‘We have no more money to give.’ Expect many others to agree.
UPDATE at 6 p.m.: Getting word that new property assessments in DeKalb showing big jumps in some areas despite collapse of housing market. A neighbor saw a $300,000 jump — $400,000 to $700,00 — and has not added onto her house. Is there a glitch in the assessments? Anybody else seeing that sort of rise in their house’s value?
A DeKalb homeowner sent this strong letter in response to the DeKalb school board’s proposal to raise taxes. I thought I would share it here.
I expect the school board members will be getting a lot of similarly unhappy responses to their plan to dig the system out of its financial hole by a tax increase, teacher furloughs, a shortened school year and larger class sizes. Here is the letter:
Here we go again. DeKalb County, this time the school system, is in trouble and we property owners and taxpayers are asked to put in even more money. Our family loves the public education system, we are both government employees, too, but the taxes in this county have gotten way out of hand. We have voted in favor of the additional sales tax each time to help the schools and voted yes to virtually every request by the school board. But please, no more increasing property taxes!
Over the last few years, the county has eliminated the school property taxes for much of our elderly population under the idea they have “already paid their share,” as though suddenly they have no interest in an educated population. This current elderly generation is better off than any that has ever gone before and will almost certainly be better off than the ones to come! In the past 10 years, our personal property taxes have already gone up 71 percent without any change in the structure of our home.
Call it what you will, the county just increased property taxes significantly last year, and refuses to decrease property values, and now the county CEO and the school board both want to increase taxes, too. Please stop.
Please don’t do this. Is this one reason folks start moving to other counties? In the long run, these increases are just hurting the county as it shows no ability to tighten its belt as any good family would rather than just taking more out of every person’s bank accounts.
All these raises have happened while property values were dropping precipitously the last few years. For us personally, one of our salaries is frozen, and the other, the teacher, keeps getting no “changes in the contract amount,” but without increases and at the same time, increasing the length of the school day and not paying for various workdays when the teachers have to work any way.
While one might say, well this is not the school board’s doing, it is indeed its concern. School board members must look at the overall picture of what your population is facing. The board and others have chosen or approved poor superintendents who were being chased away by their former systems and then paid them extravagant salaries renewing contracts just before termination; allowed corruption and stealing of taxpayer money; continued to manage an overly extended central office; and funded programs that should never have been funded.
The state Legislature needs to stop the continuing yearly whittling away at public education in favor of private and the public school boards need to be vocal in leading the charge against this. After the taxes go in place for a temporary problem they never go away. We will be saddled with these extra taxes from hence forward. When times grow flush, we will just see more money being spent and no emergency funds.
When will all this stop and the school board stand up and make the hard decisions that are needed rather than always caving in to special to loud groups and raising taxes? We have no more money to give.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
175 comments Add your comment
say what?
May 30th, 2012
5:38 pm
Hey, how about this homeowner also demand that his gold dome representatives get to moving on rescinding equalization funds being collected from fulton, clayton, cobb, and Dekalb taxpayers then diverted to their counterpart, Gwinnett County? If this farce was stopped, Gwinnett would no longer be the Best school system as it would have to fund its own programs. Why is Gwinnett not hit as hard as other metro counties in the face of so many state cuts? Guess if Dekalb, cobb, fulton, or clayton were eligible like Gwinnett they would have more reserves.
Get rid of FSC, all magnet, theme, high achievers, Montesori and Pre-K programs in DCSD. That way all special interest groups can be special in their home schools- North, South, and Central DeKalb.
Just a Mom
May 30th, 2012
5:39 pm
AMEN!! Just opened my property assessment for my house in North Dekalb – up another $88k, associated taxes $800. There is no way we could come close to getting what they say it is appraised at. So I’m suppose to fork over more money for my kids to sit in classrooms of 34 while the boutique schools and special interests thrive? This well is about dry. At least I can advertise my house as close to several private schools – that is probably the only way someone would buy it!
Maureen Downey
May 30th, 2012
5:46 pm
@Just, I am getting emails on my neighborhood listserv on this issue. My next door neighbor says her assessment went up nearly $300,000 in one year. Another neighbor saw a $25,000 climb.
Several other folks in my Decatur neighborhood are reporting now that their assessments delivered today also went up, but not nearly that much. I am wondering if there is something wrong with these assessment notices. (My neighbor plans on calling the tax office tomorrow as she did not add anything to her house to justify a $300,000 leap in value. )
I will get the link for the AJC series on how problematic assessments are and how they are riddled with disparities. I think that some folks may need to read that entire AJC investigation again.
Maureen
yes i am worried
May 30th, 2012
5:50 pm
The problem is the majority of the board lives in S. DeKalb and so their apprasials have most likely dropped. Rumor is that 65 percent of property tax revenue now comes from N. DeKalb.
My N. DeKalb home’s appraised value actually dropped about 5 percent. It isn’t where it is suppose to be — but getting closer.
catlady
May 30th, 2012
5:53 pm
I am wondering who in their right mind would want to buy Dekalb county property with taxes so high? The school board is shooting itself in the foot by continuing to raise taxes.
And about that equalization money “poor” Gwinnett gets? My “rich” (76% free lunch) county also contributes to it–for the most part because of the greed of developers and banks (most out of business, and NO ONE in jail) that gave sketchy loans to bank insiders that inflated the “worth” of our land here. Add to that, the national forest and the high elderly population, and we are bleeding!
I’d love to see the Dekalb taxpayers lead the revolution! Pitchforks, everyone!
Dunwoody Mom
May 30th, 2012
5:57 pm
Received our assessment today – it was the same as last year, but my husband is still fighting last year’s assessment (yes, a year later), so are we going to have to fight 2 years of assessments?
Just a Mom
May 30th, 2012
6:01 pm
@yes I am Worried, would you mind sharing your zip code? Maybe we can pick up on trends. Mine is 30345 – from my neighbors, it appears we have been hit hard.
Don't Tread
May 30th, 2012
6:06 pm
I wouldn’t live in Dekalb if they paid me to do it. Cronyism and corruption at its finest. Ditto for Fulton and Clayton. There’s some seriously screwed up people running these counties.
Dunwoody Mom
May 30th, 2012
6:08 pm
Follow budget meeting here:
http://vahi.patch.com/articles/live-blog-dekalb-schools-budget-hearing
yes i am worried
May 30th, 2012
6:12 pm
just a mom, 30338. Several of my neighbors appealed and won last year — thus, I think the lower appraisal. My drop was actually 3 percent and is still probably 20 percent to high.
Clarkston Calling
May 30th, 2012
6:14 pm
I live in 30021. My tax assessment has been dropping like a rock. I admit though I moved here because it was cheap.
Old timer
May 30th, 2012
6:25 pm
And keep in mind, many of us retired folks have taken a huge hit on our retirement savings and home values. I live in Cobb. Many of us are not the wealthy generation of retired people…..my after in law was….but not the next generation.
bootney farnsworth
May 30th, 2012
6:31 pm
anyone still willingly living in DeKalb is a fool.
the county has no will or desire to be fiscally responsible, and you are well on your
way to an implosion.
north DeKalb ought to see if they can join up with N. Fulton and recreate Milton co.
alm
May 30th, 2012
6:32 pm
Why is it that such an important meeting is NOT on PDS24 online? Comcast 24 is playing the meeting from May 14th? I knew I could not make the meeting but planed on watching it.
Bill Carpenter
May 30th, 2012
6:32 pm
What happened to the property value assessment freeze? Didn’t it pass last year to be permanent unless the property is sold? This action by the County to impose values is clearly to punish the incorporated cities and make up for the budget shortfalls they anticipate.
bootney farnsworth
May 30th, 2012
6:33 pm
@ Maureen
I would suspect a $300,000 is a massive gaff. If they get a fair hearing, that should plummet like a stone.
Regardless, the issue is a county which refuses to even consider fiscal responsibility.
Homeschoolers in Dekalb
May 30th, 2012
6:34 pm
Our value went up by $160K this year. We are in 30345. To me this is just Burl Ellis’ way of increasing taxes to cover his failed bond rating. If you can’t borrow money and you can’t get voters to agree to a tax hike, why not artificially inflate home values and hope nobody notices. Right?
FCS Teacher
May 30th, 2012
6:34 pm
Maureen,
I live in DeKalb and just saw my assessment go up $36,500. There has to be a problem.
alm
May 30th, 2012
6:35 pm
I should have said ‘planned on watching it.’ I don’t want to get in trouble with the spelling police
SJK
May 30th, 2012
6:39 pm
I live in Dekalb (30033) and got my assessment today, and it went down even though we finished the basement last year.
Just a Mom
May 30th, 2012
6:41 pm
if people don’t mind giving their zip code when they post, we might see trends. @FCS Teacher, where are you?
bootney farnsworth
May 30th, 2012
6:44 pm
@ alm,
if you were DeKalb, would you air that meeting?
Lee
May 30th, 2012
6:45 pm
A very simple solution to out of control property tax assessments can be had, but will never happen because it might actually work. That is, if I think my property tax assessment is too high, I go through the current process of appealing my assessment. If the county refuses to lower the assessment, then give the property owner the option of having the county buy his property at the assessed value.
It wouldn’t take but a handful of these transactions for the county to back off the assessed value to about 10% below market – which is where it really should be.
bootney farnsworth
May 30th, 2012
6:46 pm
remember DeKalbites,
you have the ultimate power to put these clowns on the street.
if you can muster the will to do it.
FCS Teacher
May 30th, 2012
6:49 pm
@Just a Mom
30324
bootney farnsworth
May 30th, 2012
6:49 pm
how about this:
take the DCSS property on N. DeKalb and turn it into a Harrah’s casino
you can use the money it generates to prop up the county – until they figure
out how to spend up to & over the income.
but it might buy you a couple years.
Lee
May 30th, 2012
7:02 pm
Dekalb, like most government entitties, doesn’t have a funding problem, it has a SPENDING problem. I’ve done the legwork for you, copy the below table and paste it to a spreadsheet. Lot of interesting tidbits. For example, 6 clerks making over $70k, half the Fin/bus folks making over $90k, some teacher salaries topping out at $90k with the highest teacher salary at $102k. $80 and $90k for a KINDERGARTEN TEACHER??? Give me a break.
Title Count MIN MAX AVG Total
ADAPTED PHYS ED TEACHER 9 $10,522 $74,441 $54,279 $488,511
AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM WORKER 23 $338 $20,820 $8,939 $205,591
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL 276 $5,542 $113,697 $76,914 $21,228,320
ATHLETICS DIRECTOR 1 $114,488 $114,488 $114,488 $114,488
ATHLETICS PERSONNEL 3 $51,095 $98,885 $80,626 $241,878
AUDIOLOGIST 3 $77,264 $82,831 $79,473 $238,418
AUDITOR 6 $814 $87,519 $50,085 $300,512
BOOKKEEPER 50 $13,574 $44,822 $34,015 $1,700,756
BUS DRIVER 939 $15 $45,777 $25,611 $24,048,407
BUSINESS SERV SECRETARY/CLERK 10 $30,797 $73,960 $55,024 $550,242
CENTRAL SUPPORT CLERK 51 $- $73,960 $37,768 $1,926,176
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER 4 $13,552 $109,011 $78,900 $315,601
CUSTODIAL PERSONNEL 736 $240 $41,908 $25,936 $19,088,674
DATA CLERK 1 $3,884 $3,884 $3,884 $3,884
DEPUTY/ASSOC/ASSISTANT SUPT 14 $10,062 $164,385 $105,744 $1,480,415
DIAGNOSTICIAN 7 $11,490 $68,569 $53,080 $371,559
DIRECTOR OF CHILD SERVE 2 $39,131 $106,167 $72,649 $145,297
DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM/INSTR 3 $106,179 $114,488 $111,718 $335,154
DIRECTOR OF GLRS 1 $75,709 $75,709 $75,709 $75,709
DIRECTOR OF MEDIA SERVICES 1 $101,317 $101,317 $101,317 $101,317
DIRECTOR OF PSYCHO-ED PROG 1 $111,759 $111,759 $111,759 $111,759
DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL SAFETY 3 $81,143 $98,885 $89,189 $267,567
DIRECTOR OF STUDENT SERVICES 6 $98,237 $114,488 $107,693 $646,160
EARLY INTERVENTION PRIMARY TEACHER 53 $11,490 $83,558 $58,085 $3,078,513
EARLY INTERVENTION TEACHER 4 $31,186 $68,936 $56,988 $227,952
EIP 4TH AND 5TH GRADE TEACHER 53 $4,601 $88,496 $57,735 $3,059,970
ELEMENTARY COUNSELOR 108 $12,566 $93,212 $66,128 $7,141,861
ENTERPRISE TECHNICIAN 1 $91,898 $91,898 $91,898 $91,898
ESOL TEACHER 194 $3,147 $89,353 $53,027 $10,287,158
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES 78 $68 $11,877 $2,288 $178,474
FAMILY SERVICES COORDINATOR 16 $4,524 $109,011 $33,848 $541,567
FINANCE/BUSINESS PERSONNEL 19 $11,581 $114,488 $75,390 $1,432,416
FINANCE/BUSINESS SERVICE MGR 2 $40,767 $164,385 $102,576 $205,152
FOOD SERVICE ADMINISTRATOR 8 $52,728 $111,738 $74,877 $599,015
GENERAL ADMIN SECRETARY/CLERK 42 $8,370 $66,077 $42,933 $1,803,186
GIFTED 14 $9,338 $72,716 $52,374 $733,230
GIFTED ELEMENTARY TEACHER P-5 68 $6,506 $81,871 $57,875 $3,935,517
GIFTED HIGH 3 $60,639 $68,766 $65,918 $197,753
GRADE 1 TEACHER 377 $80 $83,852 $49,772 $18,763,940
GRADE 2 TEACHER 372 $5,258 $82,991 $50,171 $18,663,654
GRADE 3 TEACHER 375 $6,938 $96,377 $51,367 $19,262,756
GRADE 4 TEACHER 336 $237 $102,714 $51,968 $17,461,251
GRADE 5 TEACHER 296 $6,938 $99,438 $53,271 $15,768,309
GRADE 6 TEACHER 28 $11,490 $81,521 $55,096 $1,542,686
GRADE 7 TEACHER 18 $10,168 $75,781 $53,336 $960,040
GRADES 6-8 TEACHER 887 $75 $91,396 $48,063 $42,631,713
GRADES 9-12 TEACHER 1420 $8 $92,812 $47,518 $67,476,000
GRADES K-5 TEACHER 179 $5,970 $80,510 $43,844 $7,848,119
GRADUATION SPECIALIST 42 $8,044 $88,545 $53,574 $2,250,096
HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELOR 99 $7,002 $103,376 $66,173 $6,551,148
HOSPITAL/HOMEBOUND INSTRUCTOR 1 $81,691 $81,691 $81,691 $81,691
HUMAN RESOURCES PERSONNEL 34 $397 $114,488 $58,563 $1,991,157
INFORMATION SERV PERSONNEL 20 $3,539 $114,488 $82,052 $1,641,031
INFORMATION SERVICES CLERK 49 $3,243 $49,617 $35,385 $1,733,859
INSTRUCTIONAL SPECIALIST 114 $6,232 $103,815 $70,809 $8,072,171
INSTRUCTIONAL SPECIALIST P-8 446 $3,012 $84,343 $51,910 $23,152,015
INSTRUCTIONAL SUPERVISOR 57 $2,544 $115,448 $81,738 $4,659,085
INTERPRETER 23 $5,873 $85,882 $46,240 $1,063,512
IS PERSONNEL – FINANCE AND BUSINESS 36 $31,496 $103,818 $52,344 $1,884,386
IS PERSONNEL – FOOD SERVICE 3 $49,213 $67,775 $56,624 $169,871
IS PERSONNEL – GENERAL ADMIN 6 $- $88,792 $48,871 $293,223
IS PERSONNEL – INSTRUCTION SERV 21 $5,061 $111,726 $70,159 $1,473,347
IS PERSONNEL – MAINTENANCE 9 $27,960 $98,885 $70,704 $636,334
IS PERSONNEL – OTHER SUPPORT 1 $61,189 $61,189 $61,189 $61,189
IS PERSONNEL – SUPPORT SERV 54 $1,553 $103,818 $61,038 $3,296,062
IS PERSONNEL – TRANSPORTATION 3 $73,243 $94,152 $82,261 $246,784
KINDERGARTEN TEACHER 376 $1,696 $90,533 $51,867 $19,502,078
LEGAL PERSONNEL 1 $111,617 $111,617 $111,617 $111,617
LIBRARIAN/MEDIA SPECIALIST 156 $7,490 $81,691 $56,358 $8,791,780
LIBRARY/MEDIA SECRETARY/CLERK 57 $776 $54,705 $19,401 $1,105,884
LITERACY COACH 10 $14,142 $76,291 $51,159 $511,587
LOTTERY PRE-SCHOOL TEACHER 115 $657 $66,778 $42,709 $4,911,506
MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL 251 $91 $67,312 $42,369 $10,634,678
MEMBER, BOARD OF EDUCATION 11 $10,530 $23,400 $17,656 $194,220
MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELOR 58 $7,002 $97,779 $67,036 $3,888,104
MIDDLE SCHOOL EXPLOR TEACHER 46 $5,464 $89,235 $56,850 $2,615,109
MILITARY SCIENCE TEACHER 44 $268 $86,855 $66,479 $2,925,080
MISCELLANEOUS ACTIVITIES 37 $488 $103,245 $34,794 $1,287,373
NURSING ASSISTANT / HEALTH TECH 36 $12,199 $46,567 $29,110 $1,047,950
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST 28 $50,964 $89,860 $67,245 $1,882,851
OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL PROVIDER 39 $2,059 $97,622 $66,299 $2,585,649
OTHER TRANSPORTATION 212 $231 $69,799 $14,414 $3,055,809
PARAPRO PERSONNEL – PRE-K 109 $3,179 $41,488 $26,101 $2,845,049
PARAPROFESSIONAL/TEACHER AIDE 365 $153 $64,101 $25,620 $9,351,339
PARENT COORDINATOR 59 $2,055 $87,802 $51,678 $3,048,988
PERSONNEL/HUMAN RESOURCES DIR 1 $164,385 $164,385 $164,385 $164,385
PHYSICAL THERAPIST 8 $26,132 $93,817 $80,012 $640,096
PLANNING/EVALUATION PERSONNEL 5 $87,519 $107,467 $96,076 $480,381
PLANT OPERATIONS DIRECTOR/MGR 24 $9,376 $113,355 $60,652 $1,455,657
PLANT OPERATIONS SEC/CLERK 14 $4,653 $46,092 $38,889 $544,441
PRESCHOOL SPECIAL ED TEACHER 85 $210 $81,691 $41,519 $3,529,109
PRINCIPAL 154 $- $123,762 $95,985 $14,781,631
PSYCH-ED PARAPRO/TEACHER AIDE 36 $2,658 $32,688 $19,743 $710,759
PSYCHO-ED SCHOOL SEC/CLERK 3 $35,816 $41,659 $39,711 $119,134
PSYCHO-ED SOCIAL WORKER 1 $62,071 $62,071 $62,071 $62,071
PSYCHO-ED SPEC ED SPECIALIST 5 $70,588 $98,885 $83,807 $419,033
PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL TEACHER 35 $5,970 $67,643 $38,922 $1,362,283
PUBLIC RELATIONS PERSONNEL 9 $1,540 $76,876 $14,071 $126,638
RECREATIONAL THERAPIST 7 $46,082 $68,766 $56,485 $395,392
RESEARCH PERSONNEL 5 $377 $106,179 $59,207 $296,035
RVI TEACHER 9 $11,398 $82,190 $61,823 $556,410
SCHOOL FOOD SERVICE MANAGER 88 $5,920 $59,298 $41,931 $3,689,962
SCHOOL FOOD SERVICE WORKER 911 $63 $61,984 $15,710 $14,311,364
SCHOOL NURSE 54 $3,129 $75,383 $27,474 $1,483,613
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST 49 $9,338 $100,879 $66,847 $3,275,500
SCHOOL SECRETARY/CLERK 243 $2,253 $44,011 $28,634 $6,957,976
SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER 42 $7,226 $87,516 $58,245 $2,446,309
SECRETARY 195 $80 $54,909 $31,066 $6,057,794
SECURITY PERSONNEL/SECURITY OFFICER 204 $412 $95,037 $44,301 $9,037,407
SPECIAL ED PARAPRO/AIDE 798 $137 $42,685 $23,410 $18,681,028
SPECIAL EDUCATION DIRECTOR 6 $6,137 $114,488 $90,188 $541,126
SPECIAL EDUCATION INTERRELATED 808 $35 $91,877 $44,710 $36,125,665
SPECIAL EDUCATION NURSE 26 $6,638 $70,086 $46,936 $1,220,343
SPECIAL EDUCATION PARAPROFESSIONAL – AGES 3 TO 5 44 $3,375 $42,452 $25,946 $1,141,620
SPECIAL EDUCATION SECRETARY/CLERK 25 $3,277 $45,125 $33,290 $832,257
SPECIAL EDUCATION SPECIALIST 117 $1,346 $106,362 $64,757 $7,576,589
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST 84 $6,106 $83,451 $50,905 $4,276,051
STAFF DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST 22 $2,225 $107,981 $66,096 $1,454,116
SUBSTITUTE TEACHER 1246 $40 $48,592 $6,289 $7,835,807
SUPERINTENDENT 1 $217,010 $217,010 $217,010 $217,010
SUPERINTENDENT SECRETARY 1 $70,397 $70,397 $70,397 $70,397
SUPPORT SERV SECRETARY/CLERK 33 $3,941 $50,328 $27,189 $897,242
TEACHER OF AUTISTIC STUDENTS 1 $11,916 $11,916 $11,916 $11,916
TEACHER OF EMOTIONAL/BEHAVIORAL 20 $9,910 $76,850 $56,681 $1,133,625
TEACHER OF HEARING IMPAIRED STUDENT 20 $566 $75,655 $48,983 $979,661
TEACHER OF MILD INTELLECTUAL 14 $35,778 $73,919 $45,443 $636,207
TEACHER OF MODERATE INTELLECTUAL 112 $513 $83,529 $51,901 $5,812,864
TEACHER OF ORTHOPEDIC IMPAIRED 11 $7,354 $73,136 $43,728 $481,006
TEACHER OF OTHER HEALTH IMPAIRED 14 $9,048 $65,663 $45,609 $638,533
TEACHER OF SEVERE INTELLECTUAL 60 $119 $82,298 $45,907 $2,754,393
TEACHER OF SPECIFIC LEARNING 11 $45,160 $72,747 $60,117 $661,285
TEACHER OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED 14 $11,490 $80,171 $49,669 $695,372
TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR 1 $119,043 $119,043 $119,043 $119,043
TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST 105 $5,356 $50,604 $40,337 $4,235,417
TITLE I DIRECTOR 1 $89,679 $89,679 $89,679 $89,679
TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR/MGR 16 $12,179 $116,208 $69,275 $1,108,408
TRANSPORTATION MECHANIC 37 $26,950 $62,065 $53,007 $1,961,261
TRANSPORTATION SEC/CLERK 15 $126 $50,567 $33,266 $498,988
VOCATIONAL 209 $- $92,768 $53,904 $11,265,870
VOCATIONAL DIRECTOR 4 $83,412 $101,317 $93,463 $373,854
WAREHOUSEMAN 13 $26,821 $77,465 $47,191 $613,480
YOUTH APPRENTICESHIP DIRECTOR 1 $98,237 $98,237 $98,237 $98,237
Grand Total 16206 $- $217,010 $39,823 $645,373,862
Clarkston2
May 30th, 2012
7:02 pm
I’m with Clarkston–my condo is valued at around 25% of what I bought it for– and I got the notice today saying it’s down another $5400 since last year!
Finally2
May 30th, 2012
7:04 pm
Can someone stop whinning. We all know the economy sucks right now, but I believe my children are my first priority. I have three children, ages 6. 8, and 13 and I am willing to pay more taxes. Why? Becasue I believe our teachers are the ones suffering. You know those very men and women who are with our cildren more hours in a day than we. They have had furloughs, more students placed in classrooms, job security frightened and now this new Common Core which they all must learn to help better our children, And, no I am not wealthy. I am a single parent that struggles every day and lives in Stone Mountain, so get off your high horses and stop comparing the best public schools in the world to provate schools. If you like private institutions so much, enroll your children and pay the enormous tuition. Remember, our public schools take all children regardless of their background, special needs,and financial status, so don’t compare us to other countries either. They choose who goes to school and throw out anyone that does not live up to specific standards. When is education in the USA going to be a priority again and not the almight dollar?
BlahBlahBlah
May 30th, 2012
7:07 pm
We’re in Tucker. We got our notice of assessment today. Our FMV dropped about 18%, on top of about a 25% drop last year. I actually think they’ve gone too low on FMV based on what I’ve seen in my neighborhood.
crankee-yankee
May 30th, 2012
7:14 pm
say what?
May 30th, 2012
5:38 pm
__________________
Please explain to me why the state sends over $800,000 to Dekalb for CTAE extended day salaries while it sends only $225,000 (approx) to Gwinnett? Seems to me your claim doesn’t hold much water.
BlahBlahBlah
May 30th, 2012
7:15 pm
And FWIW, my taxes will come to about $32 a week. $32 a week = garbage twice a week, yard waste once a week, police protection and fire protection, plus public schools. I guess I’m in the minority, because that doesn’t bother me at all, and a 2 mill increase in my school taxes will mean approx. another $1.50 a week. I wish DCSS would chop about 1/2 of their bloated administration, but I’m not going to claim the sky is falling over $1.50 a week.
mountain man
May 30th, 2012
7:15 pm
Excuse me, but where did the revenue go? Has property tax revenues gone down? Why? Are home asssessments down? If so, an increase in the millage rate is no increase at all (probably a net decrease). Or is it that taxes are not paid? Does the county need to lien properties and garnish wages? Are the banks paying the taxes on all those houses they foreclosed on?
Or is the issue the cuts in the State money that the county used to get? Have we cut state education funds?
mountain man
May 30th, 2012
7:20 pm
Maureen – you are not telling us everything. For a person whose assessment went up $300,000, yess, that is unbelievable. But she may not have told you that her house has not been assessed since 1970 and was valued at $50,000, even though she has a nice house in Desirable Decatur. The real question is: what is her final assessment now and would she sell her house for that?
mountain man
May 30th, 2012
7:22 pm
So, Blahblahblah, your taxes have decreased about 43% over the last two years. Are you one of those “no tax increase under any circumstances” people who are fighting the 2 mil increase?
mountain man
May 30th, 2012
7:28 pm
Maureen – or you might not be telling us that your friend owns a $3,000,000 mansion and it went up $300,000 – a 10% increase
Midway
May 30th, 2012
7:30 pm
“you have the ultimate power to put these clowns on the street.”
Too bad this blog doesn’t have an ignore feature so we could ignore clowns like you Barney.
crankee-yankee
May 30th, 2012
7:30 pm
The legislature needs to take notice. After over a decade of education cuts, there is a now a statement on the Gwinnett County Schools website stating “We now can no longer do more with less.” This from as red a county as there is in this state. But now the citizens are starting to notice what the yearly budget cuts are doing to their kids’ schools. They are not happy.
Infuriated Tax Payer
May 30th, 2012
7:36 pm
I’ve got my pitchfork but will only march on Decatur if we proceed to the Gold Dome afterward! Enough of these ‘damn’ increases(three !’s)
bootney farnsworth
May 30th, 2012
7:40 pm
midway, do you double as Don H?
your attempts at insults have the same lack of imagination, thought , and zing.
there was a book that was very popular in the early 70s -1001 Insults For All Occasions
maybe you could find it one ebay and improve your selection.
Good hunting!
Midway
May 30th, 2012
7:42 pm
“Are you one of those “no tax increase under any circumstances” people who are fighting the 2 mil increase?”
mountain man, my property values have also decreased by about that much, I sure can handle the increased mileage rate. However, they are putting the burden on places that have not seen huge decreases in property values, it is not right. DCSS had no problem spending the extra money when property values skyrocketed because of the housing bubble. DCSS needs to get their spending under control because next year they won’t be able to raise the mileage rate because they are at the maximum. The county is refusing to cut enough, there are plenty of cuts that could still be made.
The burden the system is putting on the north and central parts of the county is not good for the county as a whole.
KoKo
May 30th, 2012
7:42 pm
This is not happening only to the “wealthier” parts of Dekalb. Just received an assessment on an investment property in South Dekalb that has literelly trippled in value in just one year! And I thought I had moved to the most corrupt state when I left GA for IL last year.
bootney farnsworth
May 30th, 2012
7:43 pm
@ finally2
while I appreciate your concern for our well being…
instead of demanding tax increases, you might consider demanding your county officials
spend what they get more wisely.
otherwise soon you may be the only person left in DeKalb to tax.
bootney farnsworth
May 30th, 2012
7:45 pm
@ koko
actually Louisiana is the most corrupt state. we come in around six, I think.
but you did land in a place willing to give Cook county a run for its money
welcome south
crankee-yankee
May 30th, 2012
7:45 pm
mountain man
May 30th, 2012
7:15 pm
Yes state education funding has dropped every year for the past 11 years. They have been called by various names (”Austerity Cuts” being my favorite, right behind “Temporary Cuts”).
So if a red county such as Gwinnett is being hit this hard, how hard do you think the blue counties are being hit?
The legislature has been DEFUNDING the education system for over a decade..
The figures for Gwinnett County losses do not lie.
Fiscal Year Funding Lost
2003 $10.7 million
2004 $22.9 million
2005 $27.6 million
2006 $27.0 million
2007 $15.5 million
2008 $13.4 million
2009 $47.4 million
2010 $132.7 million
2011 $107.9 million
2012 $113.6 million
2013 $113.3 million
I rest my case.
Forsyth Co. resident and loving it
May 30th, 2012
7:49 pm
Finally2, no one has even acknowledged your comment yet because it is so ridiculous. It is everyone’s right and some would say their duty to hold our elected leaders accountable. It doesn’t mean they don’t care about education or that they are whiners. I don’t know where you got the idea that we have the best public schools in the world, but many people would beg to differ. Also, giving more money to an inept and poorly run school system has almost nothing to do with the quality of education the students will receive. I know that Dekalb County has made many, many poor decisions over a period of many years that have led to the situation they are in now. I don’t know what they can do at this point to turn it around, but I agree with those who say they wouldn’t live there for anything. I feel sympathy for all you Dekalb Co. residents out there!
Shocked!
May 30th, 2012
7:56 pm
Last year’s FMV assessment was $220,000, this year’s is $441,000! We live in 30345.
crankee-yankee
May 30th, 2012
7:58 pm
So I’m not resting my case just yet.
In the past 11 years Gwinnett alone has lost $631 million, statewide you are looking at over $4 billion cut from Georgia’s education funding. This started BEFORE the recession, and people wonder why we rank so low nationally? You get what you pay for.
Gotta get those peanut trucks enough diesel fuel, I know, lets just close all the schools in the state for a few days. Thanks Sonny.
Maureen Downey
May 30th, 2012
8:03 pm
@Mountain, Three bedroom house, no basement. No pool. Jumped from $400,000 to $700,000. Definitely no mansion. And not an old house. Built around same time as mine, which was about 1990. I am assuming that it must be a mistake as it is a a 71.2% jump.
Maureen
crankee-yankee
May 30th, 2012
8:04 pm
Forsyth Co. resident and loving it
May 30th, 2012
7:49 pm
I acknowledge finally2’s post and support most of what is said in it.
Tom
May 30th, 2012
8:06 pm
You have a choice. Raise taxes or cut services. And the feelings of entitlements that people in DeKalb have will support neither choice. I’m glad I left there when I had the chance. The DeKalb leaders are in a no-win situation.
Anonmom
May 30th, 2012
8:07 pm
I’m not sure anyone would really be complaining if we had real transparency, true accountability, and foresic audits. If we honestly believed that the “powers that be” were wisely using taxpayer money for the benfit of the children and then they came to the taxpayers and said “please, sir, we need more” perhaps the answer would be “okay” but not in this climate of massive fraud and corruption compounded by the “equalization” issues.
On a different topic — I thought — really thought — that Dekalb was over the state cap for property taxes and that Dekalb was “grandfathered” in for the constitutional cap on these taxes. So if we are grandfathered in above the cap, how is that they can go ahead and raise the tax even further above the mandated cap when it is a constitutional cap? What am I missing because I know I’m missing something or some taxpayers need to sue for violating the constitutional cap…..
yes i am worried
May 30th, 2012
8:11 pm
I am hearing outrageous stories of jumps — I expect massive appeals and a lowering of the tax digest. Problematic for both the school system and county governments.
Barge
May 30th, 2012
8:17 pm
Now is the time to assess an educational tax on all of the apartment dwellers.
Susan
May 30th, 2012
8:19 pm
My assessed value went up almost $200,000 in one year. I’m in zip 30345 and am checking with neighbors to see if we were all hit as hard since most of or houses are very similar. This is insane in the current real estate market!
Earl
May 30th, 2012
8:25 pm
Get the Federal Government out of “Education”,quit taking Federal money, eliminate the ability to transfer out of failing schools, have communities run their school system, and hold their local administrators responsible, and demand their teachers do the job they’re paid for. It’s a crime to see kids who can’t read and write. They’re in middle and high school, and they’ll just go on the dole or in prison when they leave the school system.
A Conservative Voice
May 30th, 2012
8:44 pm
Hey, y’all ready to march on the “Palace” yet? en masse? Let’s do it……lemme know when
You know, y’all are gonna get really tired of these high taxes, particularly when it looks like they’re being used to fund a “Jobs Program”.
@catlady
May 30th, 2012
5:53 pm
I am wondering who in their right mind would want to buy Dekalb county property with taxes so high? The school board is shooting itself in the foot by continuing to raise taxes.
To Catlady – I’ve been saying this for awhile now, just not in the same way as you stated.
Mike
May 30th, 2012
8:46 pm
50% jump from 2011 in 30345…highest assessment by far in 10 years of ownership. Something’s wrong.
Shocked X 2
May 30th, 2012
8:59 pm
1. Lee @ 7:02 pm — and these are teacher salaries for working only 9 months of the year — correct?
2. Our CYV increased by $400,000!!!
3. Worst part is we double pay for our children’s school since our 2 children have been in private school since K!!!
4. What are our options to protest this, e.g., besides filing appeals?
Shocked X 2
May 30th, 2012
9:03 pm
Sorry — my point # 2 should read children’s “education”, not “school” (I’m so worked up looking at our Assessment I can’t think and type…).
Mary
May 30th, 2012
9:05 pm
Zip code 30030, my property value has gone up 60% from last year’s while the increase is minimum for the next street. 50% increase in Decatur taxes when my salary has been going up by 2%? I might have to move after 20+ years in the same house. I do hope this is an error, I cannot figure out how these assessments are calculated and they seem arbitrary.
alm
May 30th, 2012
9:12 pm
bootney farnsworth – Why have PDS 24 if not to show the BOE meetings. Big scaredy cats! Show the current BOE meeting live and run it on a loop till the next meeting and cut EVERYTHING else.
Catlady – I would gladly move to Decatur city limits. I don’t mind paying higher taxes if I’m getting a return in investment. I’m NOT getting it with DeKalb.
Barge – It’s factored in their rent.
I live in 30341 and it went down this year but it was way too high last year.
PM
May 30th, 2012
9:16 pm
y’all act like you’re talking to “normal” educated, caring overseers to put out such an appeal to seize unwarranted increases re taxes. You see on Channel news who you’re talking to: childish, stupid, and you-know-what-else. These people could care less about REASON. What they’re thinkin’ ’bout is how their hairstyle is, getting in their nice car —- you got the picture? I know you do!!!!!!!
BlahBlahBlah
May 30th, 2012
9:16 pm
@mountain man, you’ll see from my second post that I’m not upset about the 2 mill increase. But as many others have pointed out, once that 2 mill increase takes effect, Dekalb will be at their limit. No more tax increases. Then what? Maybe they’ll finally make some tough choices.
And it sure looks like Dekalb’s computers messed up in some of those nicer neighborhoods. $400k to $700k seems crazy. If they do their homework and research comparable sales they should easily win their appeals.
crankee-yankee
May 30th, 2012
9:19 pm
Shocked X 2
May 30th, 2012
8:59 pm
1 – 10 months/year actually face-to-face with children (AUG through MAY). Then another month of staff development (have you heard of the new “common core” standards? When do you think WE learn about it?)
I won’t be out of school until the third week in June, got a 1 week conference the second week in July then will start up again the fourth week in July.
Where do you get your information? 9 months?
Then the state determines to give me 10 months of pay but spread it out over 12 months?
Do you have a clue as to what you are talking about?
3 – Sending your kids to private school is a choice.
4 – Your vote is your best protest.
Former DCSS Teacher
May 30th, 2012
9:26 pm
Dear Lee @7:02: I have taught in Dekalb for over 20 years and my salary never came close to $90,000, or even $70,000 or $80,000 for that matter. The figures you are reporting are the MAXIMUM a teacher in that position could make if he/she taught for over 20 years and had a Doctorate. Just thought you should know. The average teacher in Dekalb makes between $38,000 and $50,000. However, since you’ve probably never taught school before, I should add that teacher salaries should be doubled. Please don’t get me started about “only working 9 months” – we work all year long. During the summers, we attend mandatory classes for new programs, teach summer school or tutor, or take a job in retail just to pay the bills and put food on the table.
Joe
May 30th, 2012
9:30 pm
So shocked!!! We are in zip code 30338. The assessed property value from Dekable county has gone up from $386,500 to $474,700. We just refinanced our house in Feb and appraised value was $375,000 with improvements.
crankee-yankee
May 30th, 2012
9:35 pm
Lee@7:02
You are guilty of manipulating and misrepresenting data to make an uninformed point.
Why do you think you need to lie to make your point?
Shame on you and you too Shocked X 2 for your uninformed opinions.
HSTeach
May 30th, 2012
9:42 pm
As a teacher whose salary didn’t clear $40,000 with an advanced degree once cuts were made last year, I can promise that those numbers are for the outlying 20 plus year doctoral teacher, a position which is not remotely the norm. I would LOVE to make that much, but I will be lucky to make half that after over a decade of service, so don’t, just don’t call someone who makes half what their education merits overpaid. Or if you must, please, please come take our cushy jobs. I will gladly let you talk to the parole officers I know better than I know parents, to the pregnant teens considering their bleak futures, to the freshmen kids working jobs to help their families stay afloat, to the kids who scan mug shot sites for their friends’ faces, and to the adminstrators and educrats who tell you that your job will soon hinge on the scores of children who are 3-6 years behind grade level. Then please report back on your findings.
Inside view
May 30th, 2012
9:44 pm
@bootney farnsworth; you’re funny. Although I find your sense of humor engaging, it’s no laughing matter.The voters of Dekalb shouldn’t be surprise that the school system is broke,when you have a bunch of clowns running the show, you’re going to have a circus.
Dekalbite
May 30th, 2012
9:45 pm
1. Appeal
2. When they deny your appeal, go to the Board of Equalization. They must come up with 3 comparables that are as close to your house as possible (sold within the last year).
3. If you are not satisfied, go to Superior Court. Appealing in Superior Court is only $50.00.
Joe ND
May 30th, 2012
10:07 pm
- We need a new county: a North Dekalb county and a new school board, let start a petition
- If you examine the foreclosure data you will see it’s highly concentrated in South Dekalb
- North Dekalb is paying the highest taxes in georgia and getting the worst education outcome in the state, Gwinnett has some of the best parks in the nation and Dekalb some of the worst. Not sure where the tax money is going.
- Dekalb has many assets (Emory, airport, location) but the non-representayive and inept government is doing its best to ruin it. The
ScrewedByDekalb
May 30th, 2012
10:26 pm
30345 here. They doubled my assessment from last year, 250K to 500K out of nowhere. No I do not have money to pay double my property taxes every year and unless the appeals process works Dekalb will end up with another foreclosure. Hope this story blows up and the county corrects their ridiculous assessments.
Tea Party Meber
May 30th, 2012
10:27 pm
Tipical tax N spend librals running the govrenment.
Dekalbite
May 30th, 2012
10:30 pm
I appealed my property taxes last year. Turned me down so I went in front of the Board of Equalization. They offered us a 13% reduction and gave us the comparables they came up with (they could not come up any comparable even near our assessment). We agreed to the 13% reduction even though the appraiser we paid for an independent appraisal said 21%. Now I open my new tax bill and it’s back to last year’s assessment. Assessments are supposed to be frozen for 3 years according to state law so I’ll call tomorrow (along with everyone else I guess).
I know it only costs $50 to go to Superior Court so I’ll look into that as well. There is something either very corrupt or very incompetent going on in DeKalb. I’ve lived here for 30 years and never have I seen such blatant disregard for state laws. For any lawyers out there, if there is a class action suit, put this on DeKalb School Watch and I’m sure you’ll get plenty of takers. There are millions at stake for property owners. I promise you’ll make plenty of money. This is also an ignorant bunch.
Geoff
May 30th, 2012
10:33 pm
I got my tax assessment today. I am in Tucker(30084) and it went up 20% from last year. I would be jumping for joy if I could get the “fair market value” they assessed to my property. I think the best I could get would actually be closer to 30,000$ below.
Hurricane
May 30th, 2012
10:36 pm
I’m in 30087. I’ve dropped from $212K in 2010 to $138K on this year’s assessment.
FTR, I totally against any tax increases for the DCSS. There are still plenty of places where they can cut fat out of the budget.
Let’s face it, DeKalb is just a poorly run county, both government and school wise. I’m tired of my tax money going to this incompetence.
Enemas for Easter
May 30th, 2012
10:37 pm
Mine went down 16 large.
30083
K From Da Wood
May 30th, 2012
10:39 pm
Dekalb County Schools themselves know that they are top heavy. There are more administrative employees making big bucks then there should be. This is not my opinion, but the results of a study performed when the new superintendent took over. With that said, my property assesment far out paces the averages that I have seen for my home value and it’s a losing proposition. The schools that are zoned for my neigborhood are poorly performing schools, so selling my house that is already valued at far less than I owe is not possible. Yet my assesment has gone up to pay for the short comings of a poorly managed system with an abundance of under performing schools.
Maureen Downey
May 30th, 2012
10:46 pm
@To all, I just put a call into Burke Brennan, chief communications officer for DeKalb, about these crazy assessments. I am baffled by reports of 60 percent increases over last year year — some of which are now coming to me via my AJC email from readers — given the steep decline in home prices in the county.
In fact, the AJC reported just this month about DeKalb:
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/dekalb-mailing-assessments-by-1442364.html
And last year, we had a story that DeKalb undervalued houses:
http://www.ajc.com/news/surprisingly-low-property-values-971241.html
Dunwoody DeKalb
May 30th, 2012
10:48 pm
30360 DeKalb Dunwoody from $183k in 2011 down to $126k in 2012. Time to apply for the property assessment freeze.
http://web.co.dekalb.ga.us/TaxCommissioner/homesteadGen.html#applications
Enemas for Easter
May 30th, 2012
10:48 pm
Apparently my comment was over looked.
My assessment dropped $16,000…..
madmax
May 30th, 2012
10:49 pm
most teachers i know make in the $35,000 to $50,000, which they certainly deserve, but there are positions paying $70-$90,000 for elementary school teachers who have gotten doctorates through online colleges which the state requires that school districts pay these outragous salaries.
Time for that to stop! Also there are positions paying well above what they should get without benefitting the students. each district should be allowed to assess salaries and make changes before taxpayers take it into their own hands.
Atlanta Mom
May 30th, 2012
10:51 pm
Well, I’m in fulton, 30324, and my assessment went up $120,000 resulting in a tax increase of $2,200. It’s hard to stay in the city when property taxes alone cost $700 a month.
Maureen Downey
May 30th, 2012
10:53 pm
@En, I saw it, which makes it all the more confusing how other people’s houses in DeKalb went up so much. A real estate agent sent me a note that every property in DeKalb is selling for far less now.
Maureen
Lee
May 30th, 2012
10:59 pm
@Former DCSS Teacher, all my infomation came from audited actual salaries per the State of Ga website http://www.open.georgia.gov/
Click on Salaries and Expenses and follow the links. You can export to a spreadsheet and spend three minutes slicing and dicing.
An no @Crankee-Yankee, I don’t lie or manipulate the data. Don’t have to. Dekalb does a good job of spending outrageous sums without anyone having to cook the books for them. Go to the link above and prove me wrong if you can. Good luck.
Dekalb County Taxpayers are SHEEP
May 30th, 2012
11:21 pm
Most north Dekalb families send their kids to private schools and still pay school taxes. Is this crazy or what? Stand up for your tax dollars and unite against the incompetence in the Dekalb school system that keeps you from sending your kids to the public schools. Why pay for schools you don’t send your kids to because they are run by incompetents. Baaaaaaaahhh
Atlanta Media Guy
May 30th, 2012
11:50 pm
30341 here our assessment is down! Not surprised since ours went a bit high last year.
Double Jeapordy
May 31st, 2012
12:07 am
I am a certified employee at a DeKalb County School as well as a resident in a neighborhood in DeKalb. I do understand the position that the school system is facing however, with a very large reduction in my salary, an increase in the insurance preminums and now a proposal to increase my property taxes, please help me to understand how do they expect me to pay more in taxes with far less money? I won’t be able to pay them! A raise in taxes and a reduction in pay( Right Sizing the pay system) will encourage more of the employees of DeKalb County School System to purchase, lease purchase, rent homes in neighboring counties and completely walk away from their home mortgages in DeKalb. Employees like me will no longer be able to afford to work and live in DeKalb. When many walk away and even less money is collected in taxes, how will that serve to help the school system’s budget deficit?
Dekalbite
May 31st, 2012
12:26 am
The Fernbank community has Marshall “Revenue enhancements may also be necessary” Orson running for the BOE to promote their interests.
They want Fernbank Science to stay in their community no matter how expensive and ineffective, the IB program with that 18 per class ratio for Druid Hills to remain as is, redistricting not to touch their community, and a brand new school – all at taxpayers expense.
They are not worried about class sizes at the elementary level since they have so much gifted money they can keep class sizes low. The money they get from the PTA and the Fernbank Elementary Foundation means they can hire a Spanish teacher, a full time science teacher to ensure their children have engaging science lessons over and above the regular classroom, and abundant technology equipment. Does everyone understand why they will get behind Orson? They have learned how to work the system and it works so well for them. Marshall Orson is part of that system. No wonder they love him.
d
May 31st, 2012
12:30 am
One thing to keep in mind when dealing with teacher salaries (even the ones who got the online doctorate before the state closed that loophole) is that the majority of the salary comes from state dollars, not local dollars. You have to first compare the state salary schedule to the DeKalb salary schedule. The difference is all DeKalb pays…. for a lot of teachers, it’s very small to nothing (unless you are a brand new teacher or are nearing retirement – even then, it’s under $11,000 a year).
Another Voice
May 31st, 2012
12:38 am
Our entire Dunwoody neighborhood’s 2011 assessments were exactly the same as prior year – no recognition of drop in values. How did they do that? Well, they lowered the amount for the buildings, but jacked up the land valuation considerably —- and just coincidentally, everyone had exactly just enough increase on land to offset the building drop. Go figure… no changes to the amentities or nearby area, no new parks or special situations … just one assessor too lazy to do the work, and with a huge chip on his shoulder about “dunwoody people have money to keep their houses up”. Dang, wish he’d look at the house across the street, with no gutters, peeling paint and stuff.
Adjacent neighborhood saw the combined valuations drop 10-15%. What gives?
I will be appealing again, since we have our share of foreclosures that have dropped the value of our homes, even if Mr. Assessor/Attitude can find three homes that sold high – — of course, those with biggest lots, extreme renovations, and back up to a lake.
And the School system thinks I should pay more? They should be glad so many families in this area have their kids in private school, or they’d really be scrambling, having to add hundreds of teachers and classrooms. But, I don’t want the low standards of a DeKalb education for my children, so I pay tuition for private school and am happy to be able to do so. But soaking me even more to pay for the mismanagement of DCSS? Hmmmm…. wondering how much I can market my home for and move to Gwinnett.
Gone Fishin'
May 31st, 2012
12:39 am
Still fighting with the incompetents at tax assessor’s office about 2011 assessment which was valued at 25% higher than what I paid for it in 2010. There are quite a few buffoons in this county government as I am beginning to learn….
Gone Fishin'
May 31st, 2012
12:42 am
D:
Exactly where do you think the money from the state to pay teacher salaries comes from? The fairy tax assessor?
Smoke Rise Mom
May 31st, 2012
12:43 am
Board of Equalization in DeKalb is a sham. I appealed my 2011 appraisal and went before this so-called board which consisted of two old women. One actually was awake. The other totally comatose. The one who had a pulse told the other how to vote. I had expected there to be an odd number of members on this board so there could be a tie-breaker just in case. They completely ignore the foreclosures all around me because they are smaller houses. My 2012 appraisal is the same. Guess I’ll appeal it just out of spite. Not expecting any fairness in DeKalb County. I just wish I could take a fraction of property taxes I’ve paid all these years and put it towards my children’s education at the school of my choice. It looks like my only choices are homeschooling or sending my child back to that school for juvenile delinquents called Tucker Middle School where making good grades and enunciating your words are deemed “acting white” and therefore totally uncool.
Another Voice
May 31st, 2012
12:45 am
@BlahBlahBlah – once they reach the maximum on mils, then they will be workign with the friends in the assessors office to make sure that everyone’s valuation goes up, up up. Watch what they assess your land value at – it will go up, even if the building value is decreased. That’s so they can start raising both again — and have a bigger base on the land value. And once they’ve gotten it, it is very hard to get the Board of Equalization to reconsider.
Honestly, I think the Board had an agenda this year, too —– they would lower the valuation on building, but would not change land values. My land valuation went up over 30%. Explain that, with no changes in the neighborhood, no new amentities in area …. just one lazy assessor/appraiser employee, and now I’m stuck with an inflated land valuation. This stinks.
We need organized action to refute this and get it fixed before 2012 gets locked in.
crankee-yankee
May 31st, 2012
12:56 am
@Lee
I stand by my assertion, you are cherry-picking a few outliers and making a blanket statement.
Did you tell the readers Dekalb employs over 16,000 people?
Did you tell the readers over 14,500 of the employees make less than 70,000/year?
I choose $70,000 because you mention it as a number you have an issue with.
Is less than 70,000 OK?
Barely 10% of the workforce is above the $70,000 mark.
Without saying so, you insinuate the high salaries are commonplace.
Tell me, do those top paid 1,600 or so people not deserve what they make?
Do you know what they do? What level of schooling they have? How much experience they have?
What would they be making at an equivalent job in the private sector?
Maybe there are anomalies (I’m sure there are) but you offer no background information to address them.
You disparage a kindergarten teacher for making what you have determined is too much, would you not want your child to have an expert teaching them at their most tender age?
So you give ME a break.
I’ll leave you with this thought, how about the highly paid bankers who do nothing more than push money around, do they deserve their salaries after what has happened? Where is the outrage for that?
d
May 31st, 2012
1:09 am
@Gone Fishin – I’m not saying the rest isn’t coming from tax dollars as well, but it is a different pot of tax money. What I am saying is that when we look at the $73M deficit, there’s actually not much more of that that can come from reducing teacher salaries even more. DCSD has run that course nearly to the end.
Lou
May 31st, 2012
2:15 am
zip 30345 House value for a 3-bedroom ranch built in 1960 went up almost $93,000 (from 202k to 295k), making taxes almost $1,100 higher than 2011. No improvements to the house were made in several years. On the notice of assessment, one is given three ways to appeal. Which one?? I’m not familiar with the appeal process at all. Would someone please explain. Thank you.
john
May 31st, 2012
2:30 am
Still over 8,000 foreclosures in DeKalb this year and it has you wondering how your property assessments could still go up? Here is how.
You rich white people that vote Republican get the sky high increases to support the poorer black neighborhoods that will vote for the black democrats. Otherwise if your taxes decreased like they should, that would mean the poorer higher crime neighborhoods would have to pay their fair share for services and schools. Which means their taxes would relatively sky rocket and they might start to vote Republican. Welcome to spreading the wealth around.
So, let’s see, DeKalb teachers went on a $300,000 StimUwaste vacation to Hollywierd, CA.
GA-4 Hank Johnson (democrat baby killer) got a $10,000,000 TIGGER grant paid for with StimUwaste money to install LED lights at a MARTA station while MARTA cuts bus service and drops routes to the poorest black people in DeKalb that simply can’t work or even get to things such as the doctors without them.
Such wise stewardship of money. $16 trillion in debt and counting with Obama racking up $5 trillion to make Bush #43 look frugal.
The interview with the heavy set poor black woman too poor to afford a car and is going to lose her job because the bus lines will no longer run anywhere close to her, I truly feel bad for you. You work at a job steady for close to 20 years taking public transportation and paying taxes, and then suddenly you get stabbed in the back because you are not cost effective to serve and pretty much no one gives a hoot. YET YOU PROBABLY VOTED FOR THE IDIOTS JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE DEMOCRAT AND BLACK just like how 95% of the blacks voted for Obama.
How is the 50% unemployment for black youth treating you now under Obama?
You poor old black folks with a paid off $150,000 house in Nov 2008, off Columbia in Decatur, that now have a $80,000 house, do you still have Obama’s back? Because he sure is giving your back side the treatment.
Sooner or later people are going to acknowledge God’s commandment of Deut 28:12 (debt) and Luke 1:36 (abortion) and fire both the democrats and so called republicans or this country is over. The 40 year probation period is up for both.
mountain man
May 31st, 2012
6:35 am
Luke 1:36 – Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.
Deit 28:12 – The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.
mountain man
May 31st, 2012
6:47 am
“Even the devil can quote Scripture to his own purpose”
Pardon My Blog
May 31st, 2012
7:10 am
@Joe – Since you had a recent appraisal done you can file that with your Appeal.
bootney farnsworth
May 31st, 2012
7:10 am
@ inside,
its either laugh or cry at point
bootney farnsworth
May 31st, 2012
7:18 am
not that it has anything to do with the topic at hand, but…
can anyone tell me how many babies Hank Johnson has killed?
and did he kill them because he’s a democrat?
heavy, heavy sign……
I’ve met Hank a couple times. Nice guy, clueless on almost every issue, and the fact
he keeps getting elected is symptomatic of why DeKalb is on the express train to
fiscal oblivion
but baby killing democrat…?
Ronin
May 31st, 2012
7:46 am
Double J @ 12:07, it’s called a financial death spiral. The bloated government program can’t cover it’s costs and since it can’t generate revenue, the only option is to increase taxes. Employees are are covering more of their health care costs and retirement funding.The tax assessors office is seeing the real estate market collapse and with it, funding for schools.
I’ve always believed that schools should be funded by money collected from sales tax or as part of a flat tax rather than being linked to an appraisal of your home or business property.
As far as a prior poster commenting that a kindergarten teacher position is worth 90k a year, based on the fact that a “specialist” is needed at an early age to nurture young children. I’m going to have to respectfully disagree. Given the state of Dekalb schools (in general), spending the 90k for a pre-k teacher isn’t having a positive effect on testing scores in later years. I don’t blame the teacher for accepting the compensation, rather, I would blame the school system/government for not properly evaluating each position and accurately banding the salary ranges for pre-k or high school physics or math. If you spend the 60,70, or 80k a year to attract and retain exceptional math, science and computer teachers out of college or with a masters degree, I believe you’ll see positive results.
say what?
May 31st, 2012
8:06 am
Where is the $90K ES teacher? I believe crankee-yankee was responding to another post that DCSD employees make that amount of money.
Still no answer to who gets what since North Dekalb wants the school system disbanded and the result is three new districts. Bet that if this were to happen, these North DeKalb folk would somehow figure to get FSC in their hands even though it is more south DeKalb than North DeKalb.
This is totally ridiculous. The BOE said give us a tax increase and we will keep FSC open. BOE removes FSC off the table, and people still refuse to give an additional $80 a year for the tax increase.So after last evenings meeting, I hope that the BOE understands that FSC can now be put back on the table and CLOSED!!! But they will be afraid to make this decision because they want to remain on the board and need those precious voters to vote for them. Even Jester, Edler, and McChessney would vote to keep FSC open and no tax increase to placate central and North Dekalb instead of doing what is fair and just.
As far as incompentence, Dr. A will make plenty mistakes, but I believe those days are over in DCSD. Let her do her job, including hiring her friends. Same stuff, different administration when it comes to nepotism.
Do away with summer school. If the kids did not get serious over the school year, what difference will a month of extra salary cost, diesel fuel, breakfast and lunch make in them passing the CRCT? Do like Clayton county and re-test the last 3 days of the school year.
@say what HUH?
May 31st, 2012
8:22 am
The Fenbank supporters have spoken loudly that a tax increase is ok. Most of the folks who say no to taxes have a cut everything approach.
Ronin
May 31st, 2012
8:29 am
Say What, just go to http://www.open.georgia.gov, just follow the prompts to search positions or individuals.
Yes, there are some elementary school teachers pulling down 90k,as well as some Supt. secretary’s that make as much as some Supt.’s (in smaller district schools).
Compensation is all over the map and really has little to do with who is the best teacher, it’s based on longevity and “advanced” degrees.
Atlanta Media Guy
May 31st, 2012
8:38 am
Great write up about last nights meeting by Ty Tygami. Key sentence that the majority of our board does NOT understand?
For some, that was just another in a long series of mishaps that undermined trust.
Hear that BOE and Dr. A? TRUST! I know that’s a big word for you folks who love to hire friends and family and line their pockets with our tax dollars. I find it unconscionable that the PUBLIC hearing was NOT made public on the school systems PDS-24. A local cable outlet run by a daughter in law of a former BOE Chair. Her husband is in charge of transportation at DCSS. Between them they make over $250,000 PLUS benefits per year.
Nepotism has been OUT OF CONTROL at DCSS. What’s even funnier is that that former BOE Chair’s son worked for Ramona Tyson in MIS. In 2005, he was promoted to a new job with a $15k raise. He did not show up for his new job for 6 months, until parents found him hiding out at an elementary school. Tyson was so surprised to learn that this guy never showed up for work. Of course, Ms. Tyson was rewarded with a big salary and the interim Super’s job.
This is but ONE story in a corrupt system that must be brought down! Most of the Clew Crew still works for the system. These folks are the ones responsible for driving us into the ditch, yet they still have jobs! Tyson exclaimed last spring that DCSS had a “robust” financial future. Well Ms. Tyson, what happened? Why are you still employed by DCSS?
Why did Mr. Turk, our former CFO, deplete our reserves? He was a direct report to YOU!
Trust is a big word and Ty Tygami hit the nail on the head. The stake holders continue NOT to trust our school system’s leaders. I’d like to know why Ron Ramsey’s Dept. is getting more money. Id’ also like to know why Atkinson’s office is getting 6 million more, when we are cutting teachers.
DCSS an Epic Failure since 2004!
Tony
May 31st, 2012
8:45 am
I also own a property in Carrollton, GA where the taxes are much lower, the budget is managed better and the students test higher. The BOE also hires managers that have integrity and they are not involved in all these revenue draining lawsuits. Please stop the financial abuse of your tax payers.
Anonmom
May 31st, 2012
8:47 am
I’m still for City of Decatur Schools (and Decatur itself) expanding and incorporating the surrounding areas that would include most of 30033 and 30345. I mind, tremendously, the increase in taxes going in the current situation with no trust and no accountability. But, if we could be part of City of Decatur Schools and City of Decatur and have more control and more accountability, I would not mind paying more. It’s a matter of trust and accountability. I can not condone the mishandling of the billions of dollars that have come through DCSS with nary a glance to turn out uneducated kids who are going to wind up in jail or on welfare, with some exceptions (this does not apply to everyone but it does apply to more than a critical mass of them) while I have to spend tens of thousands of my own money to get my own kids an exellent education.
Ronin
May 31st, 2012
8:54 am
If I ran a Charter School program (after the amendment passes in November), Dekalb County would be ground zero for a launch.
BlahBlahBlah
May 31st, 2012
9:03 am
@Another Voice – if they unfairly raise my values in future years, I will appeal. I’ll do my research on local sales. I’ll talk to real estate agents and get their input. I’ll be prepared with a mountain of data. If that’s not enough I’ll pay my $50 and go to court. The people opposite me will likely be overworked and underprepared. If I go into court with a calm demeanor and a mountain of data vs. the shoddy information the county is likely to present, I’ll win. I’ve appealed in the past and won. It’s not a big deal.
Tired
May 31st, 2012
9:58 am
What is the tax assessor smoking??? I double- and triple-checked my statement yesterday – someone claims our home’s value more than doubled since last year. They have got to be kidding.
Tired
May 31st, 2012
10:16 am
Also – Shocked and others with children in private school, I understand your frustration that you’re paying school taxes AND tuition. Remember also that childfree homeowners also pay school taxes for a service they’ll never use. I still think it’s part of my responsibility as a citizen to pay school taxes, but the BOE is mocking the idea that they have a responsibility to be good stewards of those funds.
Maureen Downey
May 31st, 2012
10:17 am
@Tired, Is it your home or your land? I am hearing that the tax assessor raised land values rather than house values, which makes it far more difficult to challenge.
An informative comment from a Decatur listserv this morning:
FCS Teacher
May 31st, 2012
10:27 am
@maureen
DeKalb actually dropped my property value by about 8000 and raised my home value my 45000. NO work was done on the house.
question
May 31st, 2012
11:30 am
But how can the property “value” and the home “value” be treated as two separate, discrete things? The lot by itself may go for $200,000. But this does not mean that the lot plus the home together would go for the total amount on the assessment. Most developers buy the lots and then tear down the old homes. Somebody needs to write a book about DeKalb and how far it has fallen.
Pardon My Blog
May 31st, 2012
11:32 am
For what it’s worth, I live in 30033 in a 3 bed 2 bath 60’s ranch just one street away from 30345. In the past our assessment has been double that of a 4 bed 3 bath in 30345. It appears that now the assessments have been equalized. To be clear, I am not sure that any of the assessments truly reflect a reasonable resale value especially since I researched homes that have few updates and would be comparable to mine.
Bill & Ed's Excellent Adventure
May 31st, 2012
11:53 am
@Dekalbite Just a couple of points re: your Fernbank comment. This “abundant technology equipment” you speak of…are you referring to the crusty five-year-old Dell in my child’s classroom? Or maybe the five old-ass laptops in the computer lab? Also, if the school community contributes its time and resources to the PTA & school foundation to support additional instruction, how does that affect the taxpayer? How does that affect you? It doesn’t and your comments were out of context and irrelevant to the issues at hand.
Miss Management
May 31st, 2012
12:10 pm
@BlahBlahBlah and others who don’t mind paying more since your taxes have dropped so much in recent years due to your declining home values:
Try living in zip code 30345 – my old stomping ground. Sixteen years ago, we paid $1,750 in taxes. When we sold the house in 2010, the tax bill was about $6,300. That’s TRIPLE in 16 years! Guess what – I just checked the tax records on our old house – the 2011 bill was $7,801.50. Can’t wait to see what they bill the new owners for 2012!
SOOOOO glad we sold out!!! I feel bad for y’all…
At this point, it’s taxation without representation. The board votes consistently 5-4 to put the screws to north DeKalb. You are being held hostage by the reps from south DeKalb – the majority of the board – who know full well that their constituents won’t actually pay more – that this new tax burden will fall to the minority board reps districts.
I think it’s time to revisit that Milton County idea!
Angie
May 31st, 2012
1:19 pm
We are in 30030, just outside Decatur City Schools (wish I had paid more attention to that line when we bought) and our assessment went down considerably. Like down 25% from last year and the recent appraisal we had done in connection with a refi. All houses on our street are the same. Land valuation stayed the same. Must be a mistake, right?
A Conservative Voice
May 31st, 2012
1:29 pm
You know, if we taxpayers could be assured the extra taxes would somehow be used wisely and at the same time cut all of the waste out of the system to assure we have a cushion for emergencies, I’d be OK with it…….but I know, with the present administration and BOE, this ain’t never gonna happen.
Appealing Dekalb Property Tax - City-Data Forum
May 31st, 2012
1:34 pm
[...] Everyone should appeal. There seems to be some real issues this year. Look at the beginning of this blog piece… DeKalb homeowner to school board: ‘We have no more money to give.’ Expect many others to… [...]
Sandy Springs Parent
May 31st, 2012
1:46 pm
It is very clear that in both Dekalb and Fulton County the black adminstrations are putting the screws on the white homeowners. I bought my house for $345K, in Sept. 2011. The law says that, is the maximum value, that Fulton can set for my house. No, they set it for $565K. I had a hard time getting the house appraised so that I could even close for the $345k I bought this unrenovated 1965 House. The 90 year old lady who owned the house since it was built in 1965 had an Elderly person Exemption on the house since she was 70. So she never bothered to even look at the appraisal, let alone because her taxes were frozen at just under $3,000.
When I called Fulton County, they admitted they were ignoring the law, about the price of sales. They accused me of having a foreclosue or shortsale. I said, no a regular sale. Then they threatened you know we only have to keep it at that amount for a year. I said it barely would appraise at what I bought it for. I said and you clearly know I bought it, because it is on your Web site as a sale, with the lower sale price, and you took off the elderly freeze and raised the taxes over $4,000. They also did not give me my Homestead exemption which I applied for in January. She blamed that on a computer issue. They made me run back and forth to the North Fulton Office three times with ever changing requirements.
I have already contacted Johnnie Edwards about Fulton County’s obvious breaking the law. My RE Agent told me all their Customers in North Fulton were having the same problems.
Hopefully at least in Fulton we will see a change in the Tax office.
BlahBlahBlah
May 31st, 2012
1:53 pm
@Miss Management – what did you sell the house for, and what was it assessed at? We’re talking about at least a $500,000 house there.
Fed Up
May 31st, 2012
2:14 pm
Our appraisal went up $50,000 this year and is now $2,000 more than what we paid for the house when we bought it in 2006 at the peak of the market. We will be filing an appeal. This is outrageous.
another comment
May 31st, 2012
2:25 pm
If you want to challenge the land value raising scam by the tax office, you have to look a little deeper. The builders, tend to flip property back and forth between their closely held companies to raise the value of the property. Then they avoid pulling cash out their pocket to get construction loans. This was expecially prevalant before the big crash. I moved from one subdivision in Cobb County where I had a .4 acre lot that was valued at $79K to another subdivision that actually abutted the other subdivision, but had a less desirable elementary school. I had a .22 acre lot, Cobb County listed my lot value as $202,000. I also knew what the entire plot of land sold to the original developer. I have a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering so I could roughly figure out the development costs, to get what the per lot costs were. First Cobb tried to agrue that, was the last sales price. Then I pointed out, that all of the companys were owned by the same person. Also related to someone that is lobbying for Builder/Developer debt to be forgivven. I went in and pointed out these sales. First year I got about 30K off the land cost.
The next year the original builder allegedly went out of buisiness and sold the lots to a low end builder when Regions Bank was Suing him for 6.4 million and comming after his precious Reynolds Plantation $3.4 Million dollar house . The new low end builder sent out this letter on how he was going to save our neighborhood by building look alike house. so I called him, and since I know how to talk the BS of the Good old boys he bragged about getting these lots for only $35K each. Then later on they did a flip between one of their closely held companies to inflate the purchase price to $119K.
I also had contacted Cobb County about what the minimum building permit $/sq ft. cost was and it is $65 above grade and $10/ for basements unfinished. Then Cobb now charges homeowners $30/for basement finish. So they give the Good Olde boy contract’s a price that is lower than 99% of them are paying. You would not want to buy a $65/sf house. Then they overcharge the homeowner, you can build a nice finished basement with a full bath and a 2 ton heat pump for about $22/sf all day long.
It took research and using what builders paid in mass lot purchase prices but I got my lot price down under $100K and the construction dollar value of my house to $65/sf so that I had a 3,700 sf house at $408K. Which is what I could sell it at a short sale.
I also gave all my information to Sally Yates Office, the FBI, and the FDIC, who stated that they will be using it because 4 banks failed that were used by the first contrator/developer.
Additionally, In a real class on Construction Management and how to be successfull based on good business and analysis of the facts, ideally a contractor/developer should not pay more than 1/5 the cost of the building for the land, the absolute most, you should ever pay for the land should be 1/4/. If the value of your house is less than 1/4 the land value you should appeal the land value. Maureen you say that lots are going for $200K,. But with a house on it, what are the houses worth $500K. Someone would have to build a $2.5 million dollar house to replace a $500,000 house with new house. Big difference in a neighborhood supporting a $1.2 million dollar house on a $200,000 lot than a $2.5 million dollar house which is almost impossible to build on a Decatur City lot.
Those that have had their land value raised in lieu of their house value raised, it might be wise to hire a pro, who takes 30% of the savings the first year. It is essential to get the land value down.
Maureen Downey
May 31st, 2012
2:31 pm
@To all, The DeKalb CEO’s office sent me a note that folks should take their complaints to Calvin Hicks, the Chief Appraiser for DeKalb.
Mary
May 31st, 2012
2:33 pm
I am more and more distraught by the increase of nearly 60% of my property’s value and at the idea of coming up with the added taxes. Reading the entries it looks like the values either went up or down by a significant amount for no apparent reasons (a colleague living in Brookhaven saw the value decrease by 30%). Yes we can appeal but the result is not guaranteed and one must wonder how this can even happen in the first place!
As for the value of the land, my small lot is valued at twice those of the street running perpendicular which are quite large. Distraught indeed!
Justwondering
May 31st, 2012
3:03 pm
Two of the last four grand juries in DeJakb have called into question the board of tax appraisers. In fact, the Nov/Dec Grand Jury refused to approve them. In typical DeKalb fashion, the next grand jury approved them with no questions asked.
Dekalbite@Maureen
May 31st, 2012
4:14 pm
So who in the state of Georgia ensures that county property tax assessors have some standards? There must be some standards written into law somewhere like having to show 3 comparables that sold in the prior tax year before your assessment. There must be some state guidelines in some department.
Sade
May 31st, 2012
4:43 pm
According to the FMV statement my modest 2 bedroom 1 bath house in Tucker, 30084, is now valued at $66,900; less than half what I paid for it 8 years ago. There is something seriously wrong in DeKalb County. It’s time to clean house.
Miss Management
May 31st, 2012
5:26 pm
@BlahBlahBlah, you are correct, it was about a $500,000 house. Appraised at $496,000. Sold for a tiny bit more. So? What does the value of the house have to do with the ridiculous rise in our tax bill in the last few years? Aren’t home prices supposed to have dropped? Is it ok with you to raise ’some’ people’s taxes to compensate for having to drop others? I think some gouging may be occurring.
catlady
May 31st, 2012
5:54 pm
What a sad, miserable scam being perpetrated on folks in Georgia!
Last year my value was lowered ONE THIRD OF ONE PERCENT. My neighbors’ values were lowered an average of 16%. My closest neighbor’s was lowered over 30%! I appealed, and got nowhere, even when I had all the sales info from the area, which showed my value too high. The little old blue hairs on the appeals board just listened to me and then voted to uphold the appraiser’s figures, even when I showed photos to prove my point. I am sick of this. If you go to court, you are responsible for court costs, and most of us cannot afford that. Next year I will file a property return and try it that way.
Jan
May 31st, 2012
6:12 pm
@Sade… I live in 30084 too. My home value has decreased by over 50% since the market crashed. A 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath house with a basement and a 2 car garage in my neighborhood just sold for $125K, which is less than what I paid for my house 17 years ago. So I am not surprised by your house value dropping so much.
However, I can’t complain about my assessment, it seems to be on par with the values in the neighborhood.
Jenn
May 31st, 2012
7:45 pm
Our tax appraised value in 30319 (unincorporated Dekalb, potentially becoming Brookhaven) increased by $20,000. I recently had an appraisal done for a refinance that showed us valued at about 5K less than the tax assessed value for 2011. I’ll be using this to try and appeal the increase.
Disgusted in DeKalb
May 31st, 2012
8:48 pm
30030. 2012 appraisal went up on 55 year old ranch house with absolutely no improvements in years.
Tweaked in Dunwoody
May 31st, 2012
9:04 pm
My house in Dunwoody has been for sale for $319,000 for almost 2 years in total. Paid $358,000 five years ago. The payoff is $285,000. We’re looking for a short sale, but the banks are not very accommodating. The new tax assessment just arrived. My house value went up on my 2012 bill from $306,000 to $315,000. Obviously, I’ll be very lucky to get $315,000. Tax goes up from $3,900 to $4,200.
Disgusted in DeKalb
May 31st, 2012
9:20 pm
Just went to the County tax assessor website to look at details of our increase in zipcode 30030. Maureen, they did the same thing with our house and one other I checked. They doubled the land values.
Maureen Downey
May 31st, 2012
9:22 pm
@Disgusted, The number of appeals is going to be astronomical. Not sure how the county can justify what seems to be clear effort to jack up taxes with inflated land evaluations. The odd thing is that co-workers in some parts of DeKalb, including around Lakeside, had their valuations drop.
Maureen
Tweaked in Dunwoody
May 31st, 2012
9:34 pm
Interesting, my value is exactly the same in 2010 as 2011, but the mix of land and building value is very different. And the county tax bill went up last year. Wait till the school board portion goes up too (70% of the property tax bill is school tax.)
2010
Land 114,000
Building 192,600
Total 306,600
TAX $3,898.36
2011
Land 137,100
Building 169,500
Total 306,600
TAX $4,119.70
Miss Management
May 31st, 2012
9:51 pm
Kind of looks like they’re making Lakeside more affordable!
Here’s my old house tax info:
Taxable Year 2010
Land Value $89,700
Building Value $403,000
Misc. Improvement Value $0
Total Value $492,700
40% Taxable Assessment $197,080
TAX BILL $6,241.14
Taxable Year 2011
Land Value $143,800
Building Value $348,900
Misc. Improvement Value $0
Total Value $492,700
40% Taxable Assessment $197,080
TAX BILL $7,801.50
Taxable Year 2012
Land Value $145,300
Building Value $189,300
Misc. Improvement Value $0
Total Value $334,600
40% Taxable Assessment $133,840
TAX BILL $???
Looks like the school system tax collections could be going waaaaay down… at least around Lakeside…. no wonder they plan to raise the millage rate. There is no way for DeKalb schools to dig out of the hole. Dunwoody can’t save you. LOL…
Anonmom
May 31st, 2012
10:45 pm
wondering if anyone saw the news about the former mayor of Gwinnett (I think I have this right) pleading guilty on a federal bribery charge and 2 more commissioners being prosecuted for bribes. I’ve got mixed emotions… not sure if this is better or worse than Dekalb. At least they’re being prosecuted….. I’m not sure that I believe that there are states worse than us on the corruption front… how much worse can it really be?
Ronin
June 1st, 2012
12:22 am
The evaluations of home prices are pretty much a conundrum.
The Dekalb blue hair review board won’t pass for credible, if you file in court.
Catlady, court costs, in this type of case are limited to filing fees, which may run $75.00, unless you hire counsel for the process.
Lou
June 1st, 2012
3:35 am
To “Miss Management”: I wonder where “around Lakeside” that taxes are going down other than the isolated example. Lakeside is in zip 30345 and taxes have gone up considerably in this zip. Read some of the posts above to disprove the “going down” around Lakeside. I live within walking distance of Lakeside and my evaluation went up close to 50%, along with many of my neighbors.
Dekalbite@miss management
June 1st, 2012
8:10 am
Lakeside is all over the place with no rhyme or reason and many small, older homes are having assessments raised. The expensive Amberwood neighborhood had a number of foreclosures so taxes were lowered in many pockets of those mostly large beautiful homes built on big pieces of property. Meanwhile, I guess they needed to up the assessments in the surrounding less affluent areas with smaller, older homes on smaller lots to make up the difference even though it is absurd to think those homes have anywhere near the value of Amberwood. So many of those smaller, older outlying area that are on smaller lots are going up in assessment to the point they are reaching the Amberwood prices even though no one would pay anywhere near the prices they would for the Amberwood area homes. This is causing a real imbalance in assessments whereby there is no standardization, and the true market value is not driving assessments. This is the opposite of what assessments and property taxes should be. People are getting wise to this practice and there will be tens of thousands of appeals this year as well. They are coming out of the woodwork in my neighborhood.
Dekalbite
June 1st, 2012
8:33 am
Below is a comment from DeKalb School Watch blog from Denise McGill (running for Tom Bowen’s BOE seat in District 6) says about Fernbank Science Center that really applies to all of these special programs that cost so much and benefit so few. The schools differ too much in what they provide for students. The school system has engendered a culture of inequity with no standardization between schools. Dr. Atkinson remarked on that when she toured the schools last fall.
There will not be widespread support for sky high taxes when the school system is not providing equal and consistent educational services for all students. School taxes represent 60% of our property taxes. The school system has lost its focus, and much of the dissatisfaction with taxes is driven by the return on investment (or lack thereof) we are getting from our school system. Ms. McGill really nails it with this comment. I’m not in District 6, but what she says applies to the entire school system including my district:
“What DeKalb has as STT was considered normal curriculum in my High School. I was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio- my husband in Yellow Springs, Ohio. The curriculum that is being taught in Fernbank was the NORM in our high schools. It is baffling to me why the rigor of this program is not standard? It is my opinion that and what is being taught at Fernbank is what every student should be getting in their classrooms.
As a Freshman, my Son was one of the very few in our district that was “chosen” to attend the STT program. The plus side to this was it afforded him the opportunity to work with a diverse set of students of all races. (Something that was a norm for my husband an myself being raised in Ohio). When we discovered fully what STT offered, we were simply shocked as to why this would be considered “above standard” for students. Quite frankly, until moving to Georgia (to attend Spelman and Morehouse College,) we had not experienced the challenges of non diversity/lack of equal opportunities. Our children have attended public school in our neighborhood since they have been of school age. We as parents ensure that we enhance their awareness and opportunities by supplementing extra curricular activities, and family outings to keep them well rounded. It is my belief, that if we made our investment in our children beginning in Pre-K…a child would have no problem with a STT curriculum within their school schedule. The same would be true for IB classes. If you start EVERY CHILD with an equal opportunity, their would be no need to segregate the few…. Wonderful program- but needs to be open and available to all.”
RCB
June 1st, 2012
8:36 am
30319–my land and house values flipped. Even with the 2 mils the BOE wanted, my tax bill is $600 lower than last year. Exactly how do they plan to use property taxes to fill this huge gap??? Not going to happen.
Earl
June 1st, 2012
8:44 am
Properties in 30033 around N. DeKalb Mall, went down in value, just south of Lakeside.
A Conservative Voice
June 1st, 2012
8:53 am
You know what, I was down to the QT Station at N. DeKalb yesterday and as I was pulling out after filling up my truck, in front of me was a DeKalb County Facilities Management Flat Bed Wrecker Truck with a DeKalb County Government Tag GV85255. On the flatbed was a “White Infiniti” that DID NOT have a DeKalb County Government Tax, it was a tag just like us common folk get. Now, someone out there who knows about these things, tell me…….”Is this not a case of using an Official DeKalb County Government Vehicle to transport a “Private Citizens Vehicle”? and if it is what it seems to be, who do I contact to report this obvious THEFT OF TAXPAYER MONEY. If I went by their office, or even called them, I would probably just be rebuffed and told that they can’t give out information like that. Anybody know a good “Comsumer Watchdog Agency”?
A Conservative Voice
June 1st, 2012
8:54 am
“DeKalb County Government Tag”
ginger
June 1st, 2012
12:43 pm
We live in 30319 and our 2012 tax assessment indicated our property is now valued 78 percent higher than it was last year (which we also had a significant increase from 2010). I’m fine for paying my fair share, and even for absorbing a bit of an increase for many of the reasons cited above, but I think its unreasonable to assume a 56% tax increase is fair.
Maureen Downey
June 1st, 2012
12:55 pm
@ginger, I am hearing that the county is acknowledging problems with some assessments. I was told that some folks are getting new assessments in the next 10 days because theirs were wrong. Also, just got this email on the Decatur listserv:
Dekalb taxpayer
June 1st, 2012
1:28 pm
I wonder what the cost will be of sending out all of the new assessments?
Dekalbite
June 1st, 2012
10:18 pm
Here is a quote from a comment on DeKalb School WAtch:
“Now I am irritated, I just heard that FSC send out a calling post (is that something that costs) about whether parents whose children are enrolled in STT could get them there without system provided transportation. What parent is going to say ‘yes’? At what point, do the needs of the majority outweigh the needs of a few?”
STT serves 90 students a semeste,r and they are transported on buses from miles away. This shows how out of touch Fernbank Science Center is with the budget crisis. If Fernbank was closed and the instructors spread throughout the school system, transportation would not be an issue and many more students could participate in this program. In addition, we would save millions a year. No wonder DeKalb has no money to spend on the regular education classroom and is raising taxes. This is so typical of what is happening all over DeKalb as special programs fight to protect their turf. Who are the losers here – students who will be sitting in classrooms of 38 and 40.
bu2
June 1st, 2012
10:47 pm
Dekalbite and others:
You are missing the point in your obsession with Fernbank Science Center. Its not FSC or science in the classroom. Its FSC or nothing.
bu2
June 1st, 2012
10:49 pm
Don’t get hung up on land vs. building. Its TOTALLY irrelevant (its like attacking FSC when the issue is the central office bloat).
What matters is the total valuation vs. what you could sell it for. You aren’t going to sell land and building separately and you shouldn’t try to do the valuation separately.
Dekalbite@bu2
June 1st, 2012
10:54 pm
Fernbank Science Center is one of many of many cost centers that are inefficient and ineffective in improving student achievement for MOST students. You comment is what is said about every cost center that consumes millions of dollars. Everyone protects their special interest program, but no one looks out for the regular education classroom where MOST of the students’ learning takes place.
Mary
June 2nd, 2012
10:15 am
Maureen, This is good news indeed but how can we find out which property the country is looking to re-assess? I guess I could wait 10 days until I file an appeal.
Miss Management
June 2nd, 2012
10:56 am
@bu2 – ??? The county provides your assessment as separate values: land and building. Recently, they have increased land values quite a lot while decreasing the value of the ‘building’ or your home. The idea here perhaps, is that if everyone in the neighborhood has their land valued the same, it’s much harder to appeal or contest. Get it? So, yes. Pay attention to that man behind the curtain people!
Miss Management
June 2nd, 2012
11:00 am
@bu2 – again, ??? — What do you mean Fernbank or ‘nothing’? Are you completely discounting the science teachers in the regular classrooms who struggle to teach over 30 students every day? Are they “nothing”? Wow.
Fernbank is great – but it’s an embellishment. An extra. We must find a way to fund it privately or a public-private partnership. DCSS has at least 4 grant writers on staff. I suggest someone light a fire under their desks.
Maureen Downey
June 2nd, 2012
11:09 am
@Mary, Call the name on your appraisal: But here is some advice on the listserv that I plan to follow:
Tax Drop
June 2nd, 2012
1:48 pm
I’m in 30033 and ours went down $130,000 (about 33%) this year but, in my neighborhood, lots of people with huge increases, which doesn’t make sense. I’m not complaining since we aren’t planning to sell anytime soon.
Oscar
June 2nd, 2012
3:10 pm
Has anyone with investigative journalistic tendencies looked into the reasons why everyone’s land and building prices flipped so drastically in 2011? Every lot in my neighborhood went from 50,000 to 111,000 in 2011 as structure prices went down, and then to 115,400 this year even as some structures went up.
Dekalbite@Maureen
June 2nd, 2012
10:23 pm
“@Mary, Call the name on your appraisal: But here is some advice on the listserv that I plan to follow:’
Calling the name on your appraisal will not always work. I called the name on my appraisal and was sent to voice mail. His voice mailbox was full. This is ridiculous.
Maureen Downey
June 2nd, 2012
10:56 pm
@DeKalbite, I heard that now everyone’s voicemail is full at the office. I think you have to keep trying to at least make sure that the office knows there are many complaints.
This seems to be a disaster to me.
Maureen
Dekalbite@Maureen
June 3rd, 2012
12:06 am
I agreed to the figure the Board of Equalization lowered my property assessment to April 19, 2012 (this was for the 2011 assessment BTW – they were a full year behind) during my Board of Equalization meeting on that date. I was supposed to receive a confirmation letter which I never received, and it’s been over a month. Now my new assessment shows the same value I successfully appealed last year. What a shock since I was looking for the assessment I was given in the BOE meeting. I do have the 3 comparables that the county assessor gave me at the BOE hearing, and they are dramatically lower than my home which is also listed on the comparables sheet so that is proof that my assessment was lowered (or was supposed to be).
I’m not sure whether to appeal since I already went through the BOE process and feel that this was already resolved. The first person I spoke to (not the assessor) told me there has been a lag time getting the letters of confirmation from these BOE hearings out, and that I should write a letter telling them that the BOE already agreed to lower my assessment during my hearing. I will be doing that and enclosing the sheet with the comparables the assessor gave us. I will be sending it by registered mail so I have proof of receipt. Is this the process – who knows?
This is the worst organization I have ever had the misfortune to run across. My Board of Equalization meeting was almost as bad. I just want the correct assessment based on what houses comparable to my home are selling for. It is not the taxes that bother me as much as I should be paying taxes on the actual value of my house, not an inflated value.
I am going to be writing my legislative representative, and if anyone knows who I can visit downtown at the capitol who is interested in this, then let me know.
Go
June 3rd, 2012
2:15 pm
Mine went up 25% (30033). I also heard about dramatic increase of the value of other properties in our neighborhood. The assessment seems unreasonable, given the fact that the selling market is still very very slow.
The Property appraisal department may shrink from the responsibility by saying that they made mistakes on some properties. Well, some people don’t pay attention to the assessment and just pay what they are asked; some seniors don’t access internet and may not know how to fight; and some people are traveling abroad. Even us, we don’t know how much it will end and how long it will take after we appeal. One said: “Claudia Lawson says, Honey, send the bill and most of them will just pay it”.
Then how much does it cost to send out assessments (the wrong and the right ones) and dealing with appeals?
@Go
June 4th, 2012
7:03 am
Well here are two candidate for the BOE that appear to want to raise taxes, Marshall Orson running against Don McChesney and Jim Kinney running against paul Womack.
Both Marshall Orson and Jim Kinney seem bent on keeping Fernbank Science Center just the way it is (full of admin and support and ineffective regarding science achievement for studens):
See the 2010 letter to the Board Marshall Orson and the Fernbank Elementary School Council wrote to the Board urging them to close neighborhood schools, but keep Fernbank open and raise taxes:
‘In these difficult times, we also believe it is critical to save programs that provide a point of distinction for DCSS and which are instrumental in recruiting and retaining students. The High Achievers Magnet programs fit this role as does the Fernbank Science Center and its programs.
“In these difficult times, we also believe it is critical to save programs that provide a point of distinction for DCSS and which are instrumental in recruiting and retaining students. The High Achievers Magnet programs fit this role as does the Fernbank Science Center and its programs. ”
“Revenue enhancements may also be necessary, though we understand the challenges DCSS will still face in budget out-years.”
The letter written in March, 2010 shows a lack of foresight of the budget crisis that is truly frightening. Orson wants everything left intact except the small neighborhood schools and is depending on raising taxes to balance the budget. Read the letter:
http://dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com/2010/03/letter-from-fernbank-elementary-school.html
Please take a moment to read Mr. Kinney’s remarks in the Tucker Patch:
http://tucker.patch.com/articles/fernbank-science-center-in-jeopardy-of-closing-ca4b2634
On special programs like Fernbank Science Center:
“For 30 years, Ferbank has been nearly the ONLY science resource in DCSS. The loss of SEMA was as heartbreaking (my son was a participant) as it was shortsighted.
I agree that the science funding priorities are sorely lacking but I don’t see the ability to replace what Fernbank does by moving it’s science educators into the individual schools as a viable alternative.”
Look at Mr. Kinney’s stance on raising property taxes. He is for it BTW:
“As the home values have plummeted, the school funding has also plummeted. Raising the tax rate will put the amount paid into the process closer to where it was before the housing bubble burst. So those that pay property taxes will be asked to fund the schools closer to the same dollar amount as before. ”
Protecting special programs and raising taxes sounds an awful lot like Paul Womack and Eugene Walker to me. With the mess that is our property taxes right now, who in this district is anxious to raise property tax rates?
Jim Kinney has some competition as two other candidates are running against Paul Womack in District 4. Perhaps one of them will be interested in cutting expensive special programs that have not proved effective for all of our students and not raising taxes to the absolute state limit as the primary means of solving our fiscal problems.
Mary
June 4th, 2012
9:54 am
Thank you Maureen and I will appeal this week hoping that they will lower the assessment otherwise I am toast… I cannot reach anyone at the office and the central number will not even take messages. I asked them to forward my concern about the lack of communication from the office. They send out “bombs” and then no one is there to help.
Thanks for your help.
Recession Ends In DeKalb. Unicorns for Everyone! — Peach Pundit
June 5th, 2012
9:36 am
[...] their residents’ home values with boring things like a competent County government and a functioning school system, DeKalb has chosen to raise taxes and spend, spend, spend! Hey, if you had a unicorn farm in your [...]
Recession Ends In DeKalb. Unicorns for Everyone!
June 5th, 2012
11:14 am
[...] improve their residents’ home values with boring things like a competent County government and a functioning school system, DeKalb has chosen to raise taxes and spend, spend, spend! Hey, if you had a unicorn farm in your [...]
dekalbite2
June 7th, 2012
2:04 pm
Finally got my confirmation for the lowered assessment 2011 from the Board of Equalization. They are so late they sent it to me AFTER my 2012 tax assessment came in the mail.
I think more people will appeal this year than last year so automatically their tax bills will be lowered by 15% temporarily. And then many of those people who do not get their appeal lowered by the tax assessor will end up at the Board of Equalization which will probably take until March or April of 2013 to get heard. Meanwhile, that 15% temporary reduction stays on the books negatively impacting the 2012 cash flow. I hope they’ve planned on that. After the county raising taxes by 26% and the Board of Education also raising the millage rate, taxpayers aren’t in a mood to hear that their kids are sitting next to 39 other children in classroom.