Published: August 02, 2008 09:33 pm            

GUEST COLUMN: Appraisals don't make sense

Our property appraisals are currently as “fishy” as the Alabama River. Does anyone remember our Fourth District Senator, Zeb Little, screaming “turncoats and traitors” when several Democratic Senators joined with Republicans to oust then Democratic Senate President Pro Tem Lowell Barron in 2006? Apparently, some state senators decided to dispense with politics as usual, and joined together to work for the benefit of the people of Alabama. As an Independent conservative, I congratulate and commend politicians that look out for their constituents. They seem to truly realize why they are in the Senate, to represent the people of their district and not to simply perpetuate their political careers.

Sen. Little recently received some additional publicity from the Birmingham News, when, according to the story, he was primarily responsible for upsetting the efforts of some senators’ attempting to repeal taxes on groceries, as well as some senators attempting to end the annual property tax assessment. It seemed like a “win-win” situation; a political trade off that would have had everyone in the Alabama Legislature looking good. However, apparently, some factions, possibly the AEA, the benefactor of the property tax as I understand it, would not allow, or would not allow those politicians they control to approve the political trade off, and they sure didn’t want it to come to a vote. This is just my thinking, supposition on my part, and of course a lot is based on hear say. Actually, as in most political conversations we don’t know who, or what to believe; yes, confusion does seem to serve a political purpose. Has anyone suggested that the AEA controls Zeb? In conversation with Zeb, I was simply advised that we can’t believe anything printed in the Birmingham News.

I’ve mentioned the property tax assessments to Zeb, and to Jim Folsom. Our Lt. Governor has told me that he is working to return property reassessment to every four years. I haven’t seen any action on it yet, but Jim Folsom is as good as his word — just ask him.

I’ve also mentioned the continually increasing valuation of my property to Folsom and several other people, including my annual visits to our county “Kangaroo Board” (whatever they call themselves) that conduct hearings regarding property appraisals — they admittedly make a lot of mistakes. Based on conversations with friends all over Cullman County, the valuations aren’t based on any kind of logic, or markets, or anything else that makes any sense. The bottom line is that the politicians or AEA just want more money, and even though property values may be decreasing and nothing is selling anywhere, the only way to get more revenue without actually having a tax bill that likely wouldn’t pass, is to increase the value of our property.

I, like most people would like to sell my property for what the assessors say it’s worth, and probably like most people, I would like to have more of those political “turncoats and traitors” in office that Zeb talked about in 2006, to look out for my interests and to get some common sense back into government. Come election time, maybe we’ll see how many votes the AEA has compared to the citizens of Alabama.

        

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