The Coral Gables Times

Thursday, June 28, 1962, page 5 (of 24)

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They Voice Strong Objections to Increased Taxes

Continued from Page 4 law set no date for compliance anyway. Let's rise up and stop this steal. WM. WYATT NOLTING 241 Romano Ave. * * * EDITOR: Your editorial of June 21, pointing up the need for civic improvements and provision of tax revenue to pay for them, seems to have had a profound effect on Tax Assessor T. C. Blount. According to his notice in last Saturday's mail that the 1962 Tax Rolls had been revised, we, in the old Granada Section, find that our old homes have doubled and tripled in assessed valuation. Our 42-year-old home, erected in Jan. 1925 on Coral Gables building permit No. 168, was listed with Coral Gables realtors a few years ago with a sales tag of $13,000. There was a good market at the time. We had no offer and still have the house. Now, with "depreciation allowed," Mr. Blount values it for taxation at $14,350. About 10% over the market value. My taxes, after arrival of our "Moment of Truth," will increase by 700 per cent after Homestead Exemption allowance. It costs -far more for upkeep of an old house-paint-roofing - fumigating, etc. There is a major expenditure every year if your home is to be up to "The City Beautiful" standards. The added "bite" out of the fixed incomes - $100 to $300 for increased property taxation, will bring postponement of needed upkeep to property. A shabby property runs down the block and eventual blight comes to the entire neighborhood. A large proportion of Granada Section residents are retired with fixed incomes. If all property in Coral Gables is to be assessed at 10 per cent over its true market value - as is my case - we should have street lights every 100 feet-newly paved streets throughout - several libraries and a grain storage elevator. Why not up the millage and retain old valuations? Higher millage will not injure real estate development as much as blighted neighborhoods. Ten of us in my immediate neighborhood will have a total of $1,500 additional taxation under the proposal. This far exceeds the approximate $60 tax increase to the average property owner. Finance Director Kenneth Allyn estimated. If the new valuations are forced upon us, this one wipes out Homestead Exemption, city commissions in the future can point to the low millage as compared with other municipalities, add a mill or two every now and then, and, after taxes, we will not even be able to afford insecticides to protect our lawns and shrubs which make "Our City Beautiful." BERT SHOEMAKER 709 Minorca Ave. EDITOR: Together with other real property owners. I have recently received written notice from the tax assessor concerning the subject matter. I wish to express some preliminary views in which I am assuming that you (city commission) directed the tax assessor to make the reappraisal of Coral Gables real estate. Therefore it would appear that the fault, if any, lies with you (city commission). To say that I am unhappy with the results of the reappraisal is to put it mildly. You have apparently done substantially what Metropolitan Dade County last year undertook to do but wisely did not consummate. Although I have not made a thorough examination of the subject rolls, it is my belief that you have probably undertaken to revaluate all of the real estate in Coral Gables under the guise of so-called equalization. The result appears to me to be simply that the amount of tax money realized from real estate will be increased considerably, probably something in the range of 35 per cent or more over 1961. If such approach is within known legal requirements, and about this I do not yet have full information, none-the-less, I suggest to you a serious question as to the practical wisdom of such increase. To put it plainly, it is my belief that the large majority of real property owners in the Gables simply do not want their taxes increased so sharply or so fast. I predict that if you adhere to such position, you are going to be inviting much litigation and a flood tide of voter antagonism. It is my belief that the majority of our citizens are opposed to moves calculated to increase our population. I refer to the television advertising of the Gables. We don't want a big city, but rather a quiet residential city. The cost of such advertising may be part of the reason for a needed increase in tax revenues. Assuredly you don't believe that anything like all of the taxpayers will be lulled into acquiescence by the technique of approximately doubling the assessed valuation and approximately cutting in half the millage. It is my sincere recommendation to you that you give immediate serious consideration to postponing the implementation of this new program of increased taxation. What your taxpayers are interested in is principally how much the tax bill is rather than how the figure was arrived at. MELBOURNE L. MARTIN * * * EDITOR: On behalf of a number of property owners in Coral Gables, we wish to protest very strongly the new method of arriving at our new tax figures. It seems that we have dropped millage rates and boosted values beyond any normal understanding. This in spite of adding 800 new homes to the tax list. We are citing any number of inconsistencies. Let's be realistic about assessing values on homes. We would all like to sell on the basis of valuation for these taxes. We all know that you must pay taxes but we feel this method is ridiculous and dangerous to all home owners. Any time that taxes are jumped from 50 to 200 per cent it is time that our citizen look to their protection. NAT SAHALOW H. E. PETERSON WM. A. LeJEUNE NORMAN J. KOCH FRANK OLDING CHARLES W. DeFOOR EDITOR: As one of the many affected property owners of a single family residence in the Red Bird Road area I am unalterably opposed to the recommendation of the Rader Report which would change our residential neighborhood to commercial zoning. According to the present existing zoning Code the residential single family zoning would change very drastically to commercial if the suggested "medical and dental clinic" were permitted. A large parking area also would be necessary creating a traffic hazard in an area where there are many small children. This would only be the beginning of a general breakdown of zoning standards, as this CB use district as defined in section 3.08 of the Zoning Code would also permit stores, bowling lanes, meat markets, appliance shops, liquor stores, and any other businesses which would be just as obnoxious and detrimental as the ones allowed under the regulation. We have had to defend our residential zoning in this area for many years and we shall continue to uphold it. Meetings and hearings on zoning changes of this area are always held in the summer during which time most of the residents are vacationing. This may be coincidental but nevertheless we are constantly alert for notices which appear in the Times regarding zoning changes. FLORENCE H. DENCE 1520 Algardi Ave.

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