Open Letter on Property Tax Increase

As a first-time homeowner I am opposed to increasing the property tax. I fled a high-tax state for the opportunity to become a homeowner and chose Georgia, and chose Cobb County specifically, for what appeared to be a responsibly run government. This sudden effort to undermine the financial liberty and security of the people in the community by increasing our tax burden is corrupt and villainous.

Before becoming a homeowner I was sure to check my balances to know what I can afford. After coming to a number I applied for my mortgage. Once I found my home, I was prepared for the obligation and confident I can keep up with my mortgage. The one thing I wasn’t sure about was the property tax.

Unlike California, where the assessed property value is set at time of purchase and capped in increases, we do not have such a safety mechanism in GA. If my property value goes up, so do my taxes. As such, I can’t be confident in my ability to afford the property tax each year when it will continuously go up based on market value alone. Add to this an attempt by my local representatives to increase my property tax for superficial reasons and I am just a sitting duck.

As a homeowner, I cannot easily flee such a financial hardship from increased property taxes. There is no recourse for me other than selling my home which can take months if not years. Increasing property taxes is an act of villainy knowing full-well that we homeowners have absolutely no escape. We cannot choose to simply buy less groceries or reduce our spending or shop elsewhere as we can with a sales tax increase. Homeownership should be something we encourage and celebrate as a community, not something that the government exploits for dollars. Exploiting the community is corruption.

From Lisa Cupid governing on personal feelings to Mike Boyce throwing out a number to increase the property tax without any due diligence, this is corruption (or is it incompetence?). It is also disappointing to hear arguments based on comparisons to neighboring counties. I chose Cobb County as I saw our county as a leader, not a follower. Most disappointing is my representative, JoAnn Birrell. Birrell claimed to not support raising the property tax during the election yet now is fear-mongering that we’ll have to “pretty much close down the county government” without the tax hike [1][2].

Moreover, if Birrell is personally reading every email and listening to every phone call… How many calls and emails is she getting? Most of us in the community are entirely unaware of this heinous scheme to increase our property tax. How accurate of a sample can Birrell really have to feel comfortable in turning her election campaign promises into lies?

In district 3 we have homes from 1+ million dollars to as low as $79,000. Perhaps even lower with the high number of pre-foreclosures (which are bound to increase with the property tax hike). So who is really in favor of the property tax increase? Those of us working to get by and support our families, we don’t have the means of affording a higher property tax nor the luxury of being able to keep up with local affairs. An increase in property taxes should be decided by the people, not career politicians trying to play big city government. We live in a democracy, not an authoritarian state.

This attempt at increasing property taxes is a veiled effort to put more of our community on the streets. I’m hearing talks about a homeless camp (after Cupid and others took a paid vacation, or business trip, to Florida [3])… How many of us are simply getting by right now and are one missed paycheck from the streets? An increase in property tax is an increase in mortgage payments, a trickled down increase in rent (as we have no rent control), and an unknown increase in year-end taxes for us all. For those of us who cannot afford this increased financial burden it will only lead us to the streets. Let us also not forget that many, if not most, homes are in HOAs. Add now HOA dues (which can increase at any time) as well as random HOA assessments and we are talking huge financial unknowns that can put any of us in one of these homeless camps.

For those who are on fixed or limited incomes, our elders and single parents… What about them? Our water rates have already increased. Are we going to become one of those places where we lose our young children and elders to the cold or heat because their utilities are shut off for failure to pay?

Raising the property tax is villainous. It is a punishment for those who worked hard to earn the responsibility of homeownership as well as those who rent. It is an attempt to erode our community. Those who cannot afford the increased burden will choose to move out. Others who will be unable to sustain their home or rent, it is a gateway to financial ruin which will result in putting more individuals/families on the streets.

Vote NO on the property tax increase.

Contact our representatives to let your voice be heard

• District 1, Bob Weatherford
  • 770-528-3313
  • bob.weatherford@cobbcounty.org
• District 2, Bob Ott
  • 770-528-3316
  • bob.ott@cobbcounty.org
• District 3, JoAnn Birrell
  • 770-528-3317
  • joann.birrell@cobbcounty.org
• District 4, Lisa Cupid
  • 770-528-3312
  • lisa.cupid@cobbcounty.org
• Chairman Mike Boyce
  • 770-528-3305
  • mike.boyce@cobbcounty.org

Attend the meeting this Wednesday, July 25.

[1] Wendy Parker (2018). Candidates on the Issues: Cobb Commission District 3. East Cobb News [Online]. Available: https://www.eastcobbnews.com/candidates-on-the-issues-cobb-commission-district-3/

[2] Jon Gargis (2018). Dozens Speak Out at Cobb Tax Rate Hearing. Marietta Daily Journal [Online]. Available: https://www.mdjonline.com/news/dozens-speak-out-at-cobb-tax-rate-hearing/article_4eb4ba2e-8ae0-11e8-acff-ab24e4609def.html

[3] Sean Keenan (2018). Cobb County Teases the Idea of a ‘Homeless Camp’ in Budget Proposal. Curbed Atlanta [Online]. Available: https://atlanta.curbed.com/2018/7/20/17595046/cobb-county-homeless-shelter-tent-city