Reader comments
2 pilots plot a revolt over property taxes

Finally some sensible thinking. This property tax law is absurd. Who owns your home? You or the assessor? It's time for a change.

Lee Benson and the D News have is completely wrong. You should read and understand the truth in taxation law before completely misleading the Utah public with an article like this. Property taxes don't go up just because property values rise - truth in taxation makes sure of that - unless that property value rises disproportionately to the property values in the rest of the country. Further, all across the country, in Michigan, Florida, Oregon, and California, these citizen initiated property tax reforms have had major unintended and detrimental impacts on different parts of the economy and real estate values. Please don't pursue what's popular because simply because it sounds good to most uninformed property owners.

Nowhere did the article say how much the taxes are. I say, pay your taxes you bunch of crybabies. Then maybe Utah will be able to surpass Mississippi in per pupil school spending. Lately, I have never read so much crying and complaining about property taxes in this state where such is among the lowest in the nation.

Obviously you two have no clue. TNT is broken and does not work. Period. It it did people from all over this State would not be upset. Secondly, Your are either on drugs or addicted to the Utah Realtors Association lobby money if you think Utah is not already among the top ten States in total taxation. You keep drinking the URA coolaid and trying to convince everyone who is seeing more than 20% increases in their property tax rates this year during the largest downturn in real estate sales in 16 years, that TNT is great. It is great only for the 6%ers who want to keep Utah in the dark ages in order to protect their commissions. Do not dilude the common folk, they are smarter than you think. 10,000 Realtors in Utah alone and I think we just heard from one of them - maybe a couple of them.

This type of system seems great on the surface. After all, what's not to like about knowing that your taxes are capped once you buy your home. The problem, of course, comes 5 or 10 years down the road after homes start to sell, and the new buyers find that they are paying outrageous taxes in comparison to their next door neighbor. Your house may be worth the same, but you are not paying the same in taxes on it. The longer this system stays in place, the worse the inequities become, and the higher the property tax rates have to be pushed to make up the difference. California's Proposition 13 is essentially the same arrangement, and it has been a financial headache for both the state and the homeowners ever since it was passed.

Again,... Z you misspeak. No one's property tax rates "go up" as you claim. They are simply set by law at 1%, for example and no amount of sales activity changes that. Get it? The only thing that changes is what we now call the "assessed market value" (a hoax and URA scheme by the way) and the "assessed market value" is again simplified by a set %. For example, tied to the Utah Cost of living index, or the national COI, SS rate increase, etc. And your insistance that Calif. prop 13 etc., deludes your arugument and smacks of anti-acquistion value taxation based upon Utah Realty Association propaganda. Think for yourself. Use "free agency" and do not become a clone or lapdog for those who would hobble progress, taxation equity, and fairness. Behold the turtle who proceeds not lest his neck be stuck out.... Get informed before attacking something relatively new. there are some 36 States which have the newer system and they are not having "financial headaches" as you claim. No propaganda please. We are sick of it.

My question is for Mr. Goddard. How much has the assessed value on your house gone up in the last three years? 300% as some houses in Huntsville just because this is the "hot place". We also pay for our own Police services, town road snow removal, garbage....etc... Let's see who the crybaby is if we triple your taxes next year and the nextyear and the next year.