The Gilbert Town Council voted on June 19 to leave secondary property tax rates unchanged. The current rate of $1.15 per $100 of secondary assessed value has been in place since 2002, and will remain unchanged through at least fiscal year 2007 – 2008.

The astronomical home value appreciation Gilbert saw in 2005 and 2006 has resulted in significant increases in assessed value. My home's assessed value increased 64.71% in that time. With tax rates remaining unchanged and valuation increased, simple math tells you that my actual property taxes have increased.

The Town Council vote was 4 – 3. The three members that voted against (Mayor Steve Berman and council members Dave Crozier and Don Skousen) the rate were hoping to lower the rate to $1.05 – $1.10. Vice Mayor Steve Urie and council members Linda Abbott, Joan Krueger and Les Presmyk voted in favor of keeping the rate at $1.15.

Angela De Welles at NewsZap.com noted Ms. Krueger, "said she personally will pay an increase of about $13.50 a year" at the current rate. Apparently Ms. Kreuger's home somehow escaped the appreciation boom seen by 99.99% of other homes in Gilbert. My own Gilbert taxes will increase approximately $132 a year. Perhaps Ms. Kreuger meant to say $13.50 per month, not per year. Perhaps she was misquoted. Or perhaps she is mathematically challenged. I can't believe her increase is only $13.50 per year. It simply does not compute.

I'm all for lower taxes, but Gilbert is in dire need of improved infrastructure. The roads are a mess in many parts of town, unable to keep up with exploding growth. Ask anyone that lives say south of Warner Road how their daily commute has changed in the last two years and you'll hear horror stories of single lane roads originally designed to handle farm traffic measured in the hundreds, not residential traffic in the thousands.

As long as the Town Council keeps their promise to use the additional $10.3 million in taxes the increased assessments will bring to improve infrastructure, then I don't have a problem paying more. However if they earmark this money for things like painting the water tower, and putting in more mosaic pavers and fancy street lights a la what was done at the Gilbert and Elliot road intersection, then rest assured there will be some upset citizens of our fair town.

We'll be watching…

Others Opine: AZRepublic

[tags]Gilbert Arizona, Gilbert Town Council, property taxes[/tags]