INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 20, 2008) – The Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) today announced live streaming video will be available in 2008 for the meetings of Indiana’s two Property Tax Control Boards.
“By providing this service, the DLGF is striving for better accessibility of meetings to the public and greater accountability of local officials,” Commissioner Cheryl Musgrave said. “Access to public meetings should not be limited to those able to attend during working hours or to travel to Indianapolis.”
Links to the live streaming will be available from the Department’s Web site at www.in.gov/dlgf/boards/ and will first be available during the Feb. 21 meeting of the School Property Tax Control Board (agenda attached). Additionally, a video of the meeting will be available on the Web site within 24 hours of the meeting adjournment.
The School Property Tax Control Board and the Local Government Property Tax Control Board meet each month (except January) to review construction plans and listen to local officials who seek approval for construction projects. After thorough review, the Boards – comprised of experts in the fields of business, engineering, architecture and education – make recommendations to the Commissioner of the Department to approve, disapprove or modify projects.
Once she receives the recommendations, the Commissioner is the approval authority for the projects. Each request is considered on a case-by-case basis using information related to local opposition and support, property tax impact and the needs of the local community.
This tool is the latest in several additions made to the DLGF’s Web site, making property tax information more readily available and transparent to Hoosier taxpayers.
Last month, the DLGF launched an online toolkit for citizens who want to object to new construction projects. The Citizen’s Petition and Remonstrance Toolkit is available online to assist Hoosiers in understanding the complicated objection process required by law. In December, the DLGF began videotaping the Tax Control Board meetings and making the video available on its Web site.
“Videotaping the meetings and making them available on the Web site was the first step in increasing accessibility for Hoosiers,” Musgrave said. “We have now taken the next step by giving real-time access to taxpayers across the state.
In fall 2007, the DLGF launched its first searchable databases, which provide sales disclosure and assessment information on properties statewide. The tools can assist taxpayers in the assessment appeal process and enable Hoosiers to search for other properties in the area defined as a neighborhood by their assessor. The DLGF also prepared county summaries to provide taxpayers with information about property taxes and budgets of governmental units in their area.
The search tools and information are available from the DLGF's home page at www.dlgf.in.gov.
From Hoosiers for Fair Taxation
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
THUMBS DOWN ON A NEW HIGH SCHOOL
How much more bond debt does the School City of Hammond have to accumulate before they realize they have the taxpayers in over their heads? When all the homes are boarded up because people have either lost them to foreclosure or just abandoned them?
The School City has built five new elementary schools in the past five years--O'Bannon, Jefferson, Irving, Harding and Joseph Hess. In addition, Clark, Morton Elementary, Morton High and Edison either had extensive remodeling or additions built.
As of December 31, 2005, the School City's outstanding principal and interest debt was $382 million, and this doesn't even include the costs of the new Harding and Joseph Hess schools. Who knows how much the debt is as of February 2008?
With this much debt, can the taxpayers of Hammond really afford a new high school?
Apparently, the Superintendent and the school board think we can because they are willing to spend another $100 million to build this new high school. And you know it will cost that and even more because of cost overruns and miscalculations in construction costs. Nothing ever costs what the original bid price was.
Are Superintendent Watkins and the School Board also not aware of Governor Daniels' plan to standardize school building plans to hold down construction costs? Are they also not aware of the amendment to House Bill 1001 to give citizens the right to a referendum on major building projects. Do they think these laws would apply to everybody else and not them? We hope they're not trying to pull a fast one!
And we're not saying the students of Hammond should not be properly educated in order to compete in the 21st century. Far from it. But a new building does not an education make. If that argument was true, then there would be no learning going on inside the University of Chicago Lab School. Despite the shabby condition of the building, many successful students graduate from there. Could it be because the emphasis is on the students' education and not the building. Could it also be because they demand success and not excuses for failure.
If the School City was really fiscally responsible, they would pay off their bond debt before they even entertain the idea of building a new high school because frankly, we taxpayers are tapped out.
Guess we better get out those remonstrance petitions. We're gonna need them and soon.
The School City has built five new elementary schools in the past five years--O'Bannon, Jefferson, Irving, Harding and Joseph Hess. In addition, Clark, Morton Elementary, Morton High and Edison either had extensive remodeling or additions built.
As of December 31, 2005, the School City's outstanding principal and interest debt was $382 million, and this doesn't even include the costs of the new Harding and Joseph Hess schools. Who knows how much the debt is as of February 2008?
With this much debt, can the taxpayers of Hammond really afford a new high school?
Apparently, the Superintendent and the school board think we can because they are willing to spend another $100 million to build this new high school. And you know it will cost that and even more because of cost overruns and miscalculations in construction costs. Nothing ever costs what the original bid price was.
Are Superintendent Watkins and the School Board also not aware of Governor Daniels' plan to standardize school building plans to hold down construction costs? Are they also not aware of the amendment to House Bill 1001 to give citizens the right to a referendum on major building projects. Do they think these laws would apply to everybody else and not them? We hope they're not trying to pull a fast one!
And we're not saying the students of Hammond should not be properly educated in order to compete in the 21st century. Far from it. But a new building does not an education make. If that argument was true, then there would be no learning going on inside the University of Chicago Lab School. Despite the shabby condition of the building, many successful students graduate from there. Could it be because the emphasis is on the students' education and not the building. Could it also be because they demand success and not excuses for failure.
If the School City was really fiscally responsible, they would pay off their bond debt before they even entertain the idea of building a new high school because frankly, we taxpayers are tapped out.
Guess we better get out those remonstrance petitions. We're gonna need them and soon.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
COPS, FIRE ARE THE 'RIGHT PRIORITIES'
I was talking shop a couple weeks ago with an East Chicago police officer and we agreed as a result of a proposed property tax cap, there will be threats by politicians to cut public safety.
As it turns out, we were psychics.
"Our response time will worsen and there will be deaths," Hammond Fire Chief (and former Democratic city chairman) Dave Hamm said on a Feb. 11 trip to Indianapolis to protest Gov. Mitch Daniels' plan to cap property taxes and raise the sales tax. "Do not take that as a threat. It's just a matter of fact. It's going to happen.
"Cut my budget and people will die! Their blood will be on your hands, Mitch!
Bull-loney. You will accept that only if you accept that a mayor will make his deepest cuts at the public safety level.
If the city is in trouble, why did Hamm's salary jump $15,000 in January? Why did Police Chief Brian Miller's jump the same amount? I know most companies facing a shortfall don't increase salaries -- even for executives -- by 24 percent.
If the city is in trouble, why is Mayor Tom McDermott Jr. talking as recently as late January about a new city hall downtown? You don't propose multi-million dollar capital projects out of one side of your mouth and talk about gutting your police and fire departments out of the other.
If the city is in trouble, why was City Attorney Kris Kantar paid more than $10,000 in the first two weeks of the year? And why were five lawyers working on litigation over the closure of the health department, including McDermott's campaign manager, Kevin Smith?
Smith discounts his fee for the city, but he doesn't have to worry about his client paying.
If the city is in trouble, why is there a $250,000 legal aid clinic funded by McDermott with casino money? Because it's been staffed by lawyers like Lisa Berdine and Kris Costa-Sakelaris, both of whom are related to former city council members?
If the city is in trouble, why are some council members fighting McDermott's decision to close the city's health department and allow the county to take over the $648,000 responsibility? When the household income shrinks, you eat more meat loaf and less steak.
It's also disingenuous to neglect to mention Hammond, while losing property tax money, will be getting a big chunk of that back in the form of the increase in sales tax.Hammond doesn't need to cut cops and firefighters. It needs the right priorities.
Now where have I heard that before?
The opinions are solely those of Mark Kiesling. He can be reached at http://us.f834.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=markk@nwitimes.com or (219) 933-4170.
From The Times
Sunday, February 17, 2008
As it turns out, we were psychics.
"Our response time will worsen and there will be deaths," Hammond Fire Chief (and former Democratic city chairman) Dave Hamm said on a Feb. 11 trip to Indianapolis to protest Gov. Mitch Daniels' plan to cap property taxes and raise the sales tax. "Do not take that as a threat. It's just a matter of fact. It's going to happen.
"Cut my budget and people will die! Their blood will be on your hands, Mitch!
Bull-loney. You will accept that only if you accept that a mayor will make his deepest cuts at the public safety level.
If the city is in trouble, why did Hamm's salary jump $15,000 in January? Why did Police Chief Brian Miller's jump the same amount? I know most companies facing a shortfall don't increase salaries -- even for executives -- by 24 percent.
If the city is in trouble, why is Mayor Tom McDermott Jr. talking as recently as late January about a new city hall downtown? You don't propose multi-million dollar capital projects out of one side of your mouth and talk about gutting your police and fire departments out of the other.
If the city is in trouble, why was City Attorney Kris Kantar paid more than $10,000 in the first two weeks of the year? And why were five lawyers working on litigation over the closure of the health department, including McDermott's campaign manager, Kevin Smith?
Smith discounts his fee for the city, but he doesn't have to worry about his client paying.
If the city is in trouble, why is there a $250,000 legal aid clinic funded by McDermott with casino money? Because it's been staffed by lawyers like Lisa Berdine and Kris Costa-Sakelaris, both of whom are related to former city council members?
If the city is in trouble, why are some council members fighting McDermott's decision to close the city's health department and allow the county to take over the $648,000 responsibility? When the household income shrinks, you eat more meat loaf and less steak.
It's also disingenuous to neglect to mention Hammond, while losing property tax money, will be getting a big chunk of that back in the form of the increase in sales tax.Hammond doesn't need to cut cops and firefighters. It needs the right priorities.
Now where have I heard that before?
The opinions are solely those of Mark Kiesling. He can be reached at http://us.f834.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=markk@nwitimes.com or (219) 933-4170.
From The Times
Sunday, February 17, 2008