Good, but late

Without the information in the South Jetty’s May 12 and 19 editions, most of us attending the Saturday, May 21, meeting on property appraisals would not have been privy to a clearly explained process complete with deadlines.

I only wish the meeting with deadlines would have occurred before two of the deadlines had passed with another approximately two weeks away. Perhaps the meeting should be held the first part of January each year.

Regardless, I appreciate the professional effort of the presentors and the South Jetty to inform the public.

Zena Trcka

Weesatche and Port Aransas

Over-taxed

Re: Article on property appraisal workshops, South Jetty, May 12 and 19.

Sounds like a good idea and I wish they would do it in Williamson County, though I doubt it would help considering the need for money to feed the monster created by schools and counties.

We have similar problems here in Georgetown/Williamson County as Port Aransas, and probably most of the state. That is, bloated school districts and county commissioners with their ideas on what needs to be done to encourage more people to move here, causing more debt and higher taxes.

We have, in Williamson County, a very greedy school district and county commissioners that spend like they are Democratic congressmen. It seems their intent is to force the property owners into selling to cause more growth and higher taxes. Our Georgetown ISD, like many others, is bloated with high-paid management, duplication of effort, multiple school buses on routes to separate age groups and too many taxpayerfunded school activities. In addition, we are burdened with federal and state mandates for non-English speaking and handicapped children.

The solution, I believe, is a tax revolt. One should not be taxed on an arbitrary evaluation as if the property might sell. A fair way is to tax on what it was bought for. That is what we all can afford, or we would have bought something different!

Good luck with your classes on how to fight, but I doubt it will help. I protest each year and our taxes have gone up 700 percent in 28 years. If I had not protested, they would be much more. If they don’t raise the land value, they raise the house value. The appraisal districts will see that the schools and county gets their money one way or another. Even if it means driving you off your island or me off my small ranchette!

Bill Hoglan

Georgetown