Assessor Goes Too Far With Tax ReDuction Gambit....WRONG...BRILLIANT MOVE

No one can go to far with a TAX REDUCTION!! There is so many taxes that my head spins every time that I think about having to pay taxes. Then you have sales tax, Property tax. And the list goes on. When the Senator's or Legislators of any kind talk about TAXES it is always, Never Mind the Taxes that we are raising it is always the upper Class or that upper 1-10% that seems to get to pay all the taxes that are ever raised these days. Yet when they run for office it is always the person running that says that they will never raise taxes on the middle class only the upper class. But when the time comes to pay those raised taxes it is always the middle class that gets screwed in the end without even a kiss. Not one.

When the Assessor reduces taxes, then there is a fair shake to look at him for a Vote or two!!

BSRancher

Assessor goes too far with tax reduction gambit

Publicity stunt or not, San Bernardino County Assessor Don Williamson’s belligerent attempt to buck the system and hand out tax breaks on his own clearly is a breach of duties. And it should not be tolerated. Williamson wants to give 70,000 San Bernardino County property owners a reduction in their property tax valuations under Proposition 8, which would lead to a subsequent reduction in taxes. Williamson says it’s his duty as elected assessor to protect property owners. And he’s relying on a 20-year-old letter from the state Board of Equalization, which he says justifies his action. Problem is, neither the Board of Equalization nor county counsel backs him up. In fact, Board of Equalization Chief Counsel Kristine Cazadd says the 1986 advisory letter in no way gives Williamson the authority to act on his own. And if he does, the board likely would audit the county’s assessments – and seek a court injunction. Running for re-election to a fourth term, Williamson said Monday he was bound and determined to carry through with his ‘‘constitutional duty’’ and deliver on those tax breaks. County Administrative Officer Mark Uffer, on the other hand, is ready to pull out all the stops to block Williamson’s maverick move, down to barring the Assessor’s Office from altering the records in its computer database. ‘‘This isn’t about low taxes,’’ Uffer said. ‘‘It borders on an illegal act of malfeasance.’’ Uffer is exactly right. If Williamson were allowed to carry out his scheme, the property owners in question would receive an average deduction of $30,000 in assessed property value. But the lowered tax valuations would shortchange the county tax rolls – by about $20 million. It would mean a tremendous loss to county schools, and other tax-funded services – all because Williamson sees fit to pull a cheesy election-year gimmick. Uffer needs to do more than block it. Williamson deserves a county reprimand, even if it plays into the hands of his chief opponent, Bill Postmus. Postmus is chairman of the Board of Supervisors. Still, Uffer, who is doing the right thing by seeking to block Williamson at every turn, should not carry through on his childish threat to hold back on a long-planned staffing increase for the Assessor’s Office. That wouldn’t be fair to taxpayers, whom the office serves. And it certainly doesn’t show mature leadership on the part of the county’s top administrator. Then again, Williamson’s bid to act on a ploy only he thinks is legal isn’t productive either. It makes you wonder if Williamson really is qualified to serve as assessor. Disagree? We’d like to hear from you. Write us at letters@dailybulletin.com.

Da Buck
BS Ranch
BSRanch@HungLikeaHorseFly.com
http://spaces.msn.com/bsranch

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