Document text
Tax bills likely to elicit gasps in Eagle Point Voter-approved bonds bring 53% boost in property taxes for the city By JILL BRISKEY EAGLE POINT - The 2001-02 property tax bills have yet to find their way into mailboxes, but already they're the talk of the town. Seeing your yearly tax bill grow by 52.6 percent is bound to stir folks up, said Eagle Point resident Clay Martin. "My daughter, she's crying the blues already," Martin said Thursday afternoon over a cup of coffee in downtown Eagle Point. "And you would think they wouldn't have to raise taxes with all the new homes going in." Resident Sid Nevle, who lives next-door to Martin at what the duo call "the old geezer" mobile home park, joked that nothing destroys nations like over-taxation. "There's a lot of people who are going to be in trouble. A lot of senior citizens live here," Nevle said, this time without a laugh. "It's going to keep going up as the population grows." The changing needs of a growing community are indeed the reason behind Eagle Point's tax spike this year, said county assessor Dan Ross. Ross said the jump is a direct result of two voter-approved bonds - annexing into Fire District 3's service area and a bond to support Jackson County School District 9. "It really comes down to voter-approved issues," he added. "(Property) values are probably not an issue with most people." A parcel of land assessed at $75,000 in Eagle Point cost $460 more in taxes this year. Property assessed at $100,000 will see a $613 increase and owners of a $250,000 home must fork over an additional $1,533 this year. Wednesday, Jackson County mailed approximately 100,000 tax bills to property owners. Officials expect to collect $149,884,019 for the county's 40 taxing districts and special assessments. That's an 11 percent increase over funds collected for the 2000-01, Ross said. New construction, new money measures approved by voters, bonds and a constitutionally required increase of 3 percent are behind the $14.7 million increase in property taxes this year. Eagle Point isn't the only town in the Rogue Valley faced with large increases this year. Central Point residents will see their taxes jump 12.8 percent this year after the community passed a bond to pay for services from Fire District 3. Last year both Central Point and Ashland realized a 9 percent increase. In 2001 and 2002, however, Ashland residents will only pay 1.8 percent more than last year. Shady Cove residents will pay 26.7 percent more in 2001-02, and resident living in north Jackson County (between White City and Trail) will see a 37.9 percent increase. In Jackson County, the average residential property shows an assessed value that is 26.9 percent lower than real market value, according to Ross. Ross said taxes would typically increase 3 percent each year for most properties. That changes, he added, if additional taxes are passed or significant new construction takes place. In Jackson County Ross said that more than 79 percent - approximately 78,946 accounts - had an assessed value that only increased the constitutional limit of 3 percent over last year's assessed value. Ross said residents who disagree with the county's assessment of their property's value can call 774-6059 to review the issue individually. Residents are urged to leave a message on the voice mail if they get a message. Ross said that all calls will be returned promptly. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.