Below is a good message from Jan Bergemann who is President of Cyber Citizens For Justice, Inc. On several occasions people have asked me why don't I blog about the "feel good" issues. On occasion I do but I have learned that people really don't want to read about them. They want to know the nitty gritty and the sometimes very down and dirty side of what is really going on in their little space in paradise.
A message from Jan--
Dear Florida Homeowner and Condo Owner: Foreclosures and unpaid dues are still the No. 1 issue plaguing our community associations, even if some reporters and bloggers don't want to talk about it and rather fill the pages with feel-good issues nobody is really interested in. Ignoring the problems by avoiding to discuss them is sure no way to solve the problems. In my opinion these folks behave like Nero, the Roman emperor who played the fiddle when Rome was burning. Many still paying owners need legislative help in order to deal with these serious financial problems that are bankrupting good families caused by ever increasing dues and/or special assessments necessary because of neighbors who stopped paying.
With prices going up every week just for groceries, and the basics are costing us more and more in order to provide for ourselves and our families, taxes are being raised in Lake Worth, one of the poorest cities in Palm Beach County. All of us in Lake Worth are paying for those who have abandoned their property or have refused to pay their electric bill and that is reflected in higher fees across the board. We, in the condo communities, are dealing with these foreclosures on a personal level, literally picking up the expenses for those who abandon their units. Our values are dropping because of the foreclosures as are all residences across our City. As we in the condos are forced to pay more for those who are not, we are struggling more too.
With the decision by this Commission to now tax us differently with special assessments, it will be off the backs of the working class, some businesses, the poor, tax exempt properties such as churches and the senior on a fixed income. With this special assessment, the city wants to raise a difference of $72,000 because the city manager does not feel it right that some people don't pay for a service (because their property is worth less than $50,000) and that the wealthy pay more. That's how it generally works in America, Commissioners; people pay based on their income and property values. How can you even call paying for outlandish pensions, a service or an improvement.
You can stop this Commissioners. You can stop the bleed of our residents now and in the future by rejecting special assessments. Allow properties to be taxed the way in which they should, by the value of the property, the only way that is fair and a way that has been in existence since the beginning of taxing property. Some clever, greedy person decided to screw the people by dreaming up the special assessment. Look for more ways to stop the spending during these difficult times and ways to protect us, not take advantage of us.
As John Jordan says, "We have problems and we are creating more problems to solve those problems."
14 comments:
assessments have been around for a long time to collect much needed money. Get use to it already.
If you are having problems in the condo communities, maybe you should not be an exclusive 55 and over community
Thanks to the idiot above for your indepth and thoughtful assessment of the situation. The problem is not just in the condo communities but throughout the City. Where have you been? Can you read? Take a much needed hike. Thanks. Is your name, Susan?
This is out of the mouth of a lake worth taxpayer, anon at 10:23, whose property values have fallen to the gutter and wants to pay more taxes. I guess we are all a little bit mentally unstable in LW.
Heck no, this is not Susan Stanton, It is either Waterman or Golden, clones of Stanton and Socialism. Alright already! I think if we all are having problems perhaps new leadership is in order. What do you think about that?
Joe
Get used to it already this November. Start packing.
I am very mad that you are not doing your job and only want to tax rather than to stop spending. I am not helping any of you this election with one sacred dime of my ever depleting income or any of my labor that was not appreciated in the last election. I don't remember a thank you. I was not appreciated for that work and I am certainly forgotten now. To the very insensitive person above who told lynn that she shouldn't live in an over 55 community, my community is over 55 and more stable with retirees. You too will be a senior one day and hopefully you will be able to live in a nice community such as ours. We do pay our bills and our taxes even if they do hit hard.
a senior
True, first poster above. But really where I see the problem is going around the advalorem to tax the people for the spending and the waste at city hall. This will cause a lot of hardship down the road when you divert from the traditional way of paying taxes. Just my opinion that's worth not much it seems by my elected officials.
Jim P.
I have been right here all along, I know the problem is city wide
False, first poster above as well as second poster above, probably the same person. Stopping the unnecessary spending is the key. Also, believing everything the City Mgr says is pretty stupid. Also, to move out of your home to a house or to allow people with families to live in over 55 condo communities will only exacerbate the problems at hand. There are much more foreclosures in single family houses than in the condos. The only difference in the condos is that everyone else has to pick up the deadbeat's bills. Allowing families to move in does not solve anything and really a dumb remark.
Sorry, but it was.
Mary P
John's comments from an older blog post were 100% right! This control freak(my words,not John's) of a city manager HAS GOT TO GO! Shame on you city Commissioners that allowed yourselves to be pulled into one on one meetings with Susan Stanton! People now view you as puppets of Stanton,doing HER will ,and not what benefits the taxpayers.I have not seen ANY actions by ANY of you that dispute this point of view.(Scott Maxwell is the exepton here) You threw me and my entire neighborhood under the bus when you were mislead by our city attorney(directed to do so by Stanton,of course)into believing that you could not even hold A WORKSHOP on the Sunset property!This city government has become a nontransparent black hole. I contributed to your campaigns and worked for you.If I tell you that a city employee is wrong-you tell me to go to hell and believe the liar. Will I be voting for any of you again? Probably not. Katie Mcgiveron
We should demand that the one-on-one meetings the commmissioners have with Stanton be in the SUNSHINE! God only knows what bunk Stanton tells them in the secret confines of her office.
Waterman needs to go. She acts like she's a freaken queen. I voted for her. What a big mistake. She's more of the same.
Everyone, please understand that this IS election time. There are a lot of remarks that are just politically driven. As a politician, you do hold yourself up to a lot of criticism.
It would have been very smart of Maxwell, Waterman and Golden if they had rejected new taxes (other than water and sewer)and looked to cut expenditures in the capital projects for this coming year. To throw the people a bone on the electric was also a dumb thing.
This special tax was unnecessary and Ed Fry said it could be stopped by cutting the CIP spending. That remark went right over their heads like a whisper in the wind.
So, if you elected officials feel mis-understood, it is your own doing.
Rachel Waterman,please know this and take it to heart. You were not elected because the people loved you. You were elected because they hated Ramiccio.
To the comment about 55+ communities I would have to guess you don't have a clue....
Typically 55+ Communities have a more stable value contribution to the system than those who are not...(even though the values are sustained at a lower value for affordability)
Given the age of Baby boomers and the demand for these communities normally would sustain a 55+ Community so the real issue here is if 55+ Communities are feeling the pain its a HUGE indicator of the state of the economy! The Economy has TANKED and the city in this case just like most government is having a tough time in understanding how to CUT (CIP Budget) spending and can only seek out ways to raise money and where does that hit? OUR pockets and included in OURS is our neighbors that live on fixed incomes and now have to make a choice between getting needed medications, services, etc...or paying for assessments because city hall is running blind, in the dark with no head lights on.
No i'm not 55+....
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