The county has dropped its estimate of my house’s 2011 value by $19,500. That’s down $62,300 from the 2009 valuation.
In theory, this should provide some tax relief. In reality, though, it won’t: Maricopa County is going broke, like all the other municipalities in the state, and so the county supervisors intend to raise property taxes by a walloping 10 percent. They also intend to take away the 50 percent tax break on historic homes that has led to the vibrant restoration of the cultural district and urban neighborhoods flanking Central Avenue as it passes through the once-decrepit downtown area.
Out of work, Mr. Taxpayer? Broke? Living out of a cardboard box? Lie still there on the ground so we can aim another sharp kick to your kidneys.
The county offers a tax freeze for people who are over 65 and have a gross income of around $32,000 or less. I realized I could qualify for that…until I saw the form you have to fill out. What the county deems to be your 2010 income bears no relation with how much you have in 2010. It’s based on your 2009, 2008, and 2007 gross income figures. Thus after you lose your job on December 31, 2009, as one of us has, your penurious 2010 income is irrelevant.
Let us give you another swift kick, Ms. Taxpayer!
So, chances are my time in the present abode is limited. Last year’s taxes were a stretch, and that was when I was employed and self-escrowing $325 a month to cover the various annual homeowning charges. If taxes rise now that I have no credible income, I won’t be able to stay in my home without drawing a lot more down out of my retirement savings. And that may be contraindicated.