Via AZStarNet (and hat tip to Curtis): Error means service cuts, likely tax hikes in Pima
Pima County faces across-the-board budget cuts and area school
districts may have to raise taxes to pay for a $24 million tax refund
to Qwest Communications.The Arizona Court of Appeals sided with the telecommunications
company when it claimed the state Department of Revenue overvalued
Qwest’s property from 2002 to 2006.
Why was this ‘error’ made? Because the county was doing its job as normal. Nothing changed about the properties or the tax rate. Indeed, the counties don’t even set the tax rate for telecom property, the state government does. Qwest argued that increased competition and the age of some of its properties had lowered the value of its infrastructure, and won.
The result is that every county will have to reach a settlement with Qwest, gutting services, hiring, and personnel retention as a result.
Another reason to vote no on Prop 101 which would restrict local governments from increasing tax rates to make up for problems like this one.
But perhaps the biggest scandal is that these shortfalls are expected to neatly match the recent GOP tax rate cuts which were made permanent in this year’s budget. Had the GOP not been itching to destroy our state’s revenue base and thereby put a feather in its ideological dunce cap, and instead followed the Governor’s plans for responsible tax reductions to return the surplus to citizens, we wouldn’t be facing this mess now.
You’re doin’ a heck of job legislative Republicans!
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With the County receiving 35 million from Wal Mart to look the other way when it hires Raul Grijalvias relatives, I hope NO TAXES on properties in Pima County are raised , or I will personally raise the roof of the Pima County Board of Supervisors!
In the WaPo politics chat today, reporter Jonathan Weisman had this to say in regards to AZ races:
“Jonathan Weisman: Lots of thoughts on Arizona. I would say Jim Kolbe’s seat is the clearest Democratic gain in the country. The Republican’s anti-immigration message had real resonance with the core of the Republican vote and blew away his competition in the primary. But he overestimated its resonance with the larger electorate and gave Gabrielle Giffords a free ride to Washington. The Arizona Republic’s endorsement of Harry Mitchell against J.D. Hayworth had to be a real jolt. The paper is very conservative and they called Hayworth a big, blustery bully. I would not be surprised if Mitchell pulled that one out, even though he is a very dull campaigner. (He has a very good ad up now) Finally, Rick Renzi should be in real trouble, but I don’t think he is. The federal probe of his land deal is real. My goodness, he pushed legislation boosting the value of his buddy and business partner’s land just days before the guy sold it. But the same Arizona Republic that screwed Hayworth has been remarkably timid about pursuing the Renzi story. That lets him back to D.C.”
the state made the error, and LOST.
I think that the state SHOULD BE FORCED to pay the error, but it still means that we the citizens pay for the screw-up in the end.
If the STATE made the error and WON why do Counties pay the difference? Iam sure Quest raided fees somewhere to cover some of its losses? The State has a (1) One Billion dollar surplus strange isn’t it that Quest was overvalued by (1) One Billion Dollars. Here I thought The State was really doing its job by building a surplus only to find out it is a pie in the sky fairy tale and smoke and mirrors settlement from a botched law suit, and your and my property taxes are going to skyrocket to levels higher than that of The Pima County Assessors ” Real Estate Speculating” that The Pima County Board of Supervisors had to CUT Property Taxes for next year,(Something I said ” I will believe it when I see It”) and low and behold the County gets to RAISE TAXES FURTHER, making us the highest taxed County not only in Arizona but in the top 10 of the Nation!
It looks like the Taxpayers and votersget screwed again and the people who made the stupid error are still calling the shots!