By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher
Marion County’s total assessed value has decreased by $2.2 million compared to last year, according to new figures released by Tax Assessor Sherry McGowan.
The value of motor vehicles decreased by $3 million, which probably means Marion County residents are keeping their old cars instead of replacing them with new ones, McGowan said. Assessed values of vehicles also went down last year, but only by about $720,000.
The county’s total assessed value for 2009-2010 was $144,561, 492 and for 2010-2011 it is $142,274,648, for a total decrease of $2,286,844.
Other than motor vehicles, another area that saw a large decrease was personal property, which consists of business inventory and equipment. The assessed value of personal property decreased by about $1.2 million this year. With the poor economy, some businesses are cutting back on inventory while others are closing completely.
Real property, which includes homes and land, actually went up by about by about $2 million, partly brought on by home improvement projects.
Marion County Comptroller Mary McKenzie said the $2.2 million drop in assessed value is the largest she has seen since she started working for the Board of Supervisors in the early 1970s. In fact, McKenzie said she can’t remember another year when the assessed value went down at all.
The drop in assessed value most likely means the millage rate will have to be raised to bring in the same amount of money, said McKenzie.
“It’s going to hurt as far as what we take in,” agreed Supervisor Raymon Rowell.
Asked if he thinks the millage rate will have to be raised because of the drop in assessed value, Rowell deferred to Board of Supervisors President Calvin Newsom, who could not be reached for comment.
McKenzie said it is too early to tell how much the millage rate might have to be raised to compensate for the drop in value.
One positive thing is that the county completed paying off the note for Marion General Hospital this year and will no longer have to levy 2.29 mills for that payment, said McKenzie.
The county currently assesses a total of 131.96 mills, for a total budget of $21,385,227. The new millage rate will probably be set around Sept. 15. Last year the Board of Supervisors did not increase the millage rate in the general fund.
If things like the car tag wasn’t so outrageously high, people would be more inclined to buy a new car. Look at the difference sometime between the car tag cost in La vs Ms. We are one of the poorest states in the union and have one of the lowest state average for household incomes. Ms need not wonder why people are moving away or staying and not buying anything or turning to state assistance programs- it is just too expensive here per the income most have the opportunity to make.
Oj is correct, now days with good credit and a trade in you can get into a new vehical with nothing down and get a full loan with no interest but then you get slapped in the face with the price of a car tag. A few years ago I purchased a new ford explorer about a 30,000.00 vehical nothing down with my trade in and a zero interest loan thru ford credit then I went to get the tag it was over 800.00 I almost fell out. If your not rich have a fair income and good credit you can squeeze into your life some nice things with structured loans and smart dealings but the back breaker is shelling out for a car tag and I didnt even go into the insurance which is legalized extortion
Every week we hear of another local tax increase to make up for a budget shortfall. Mississippi, your tax revenues are down because your citizens are hurting!
Listen to me……..
CUT THE SPENDING!!!
Here are some unpleasant ways to get there in Marion County:
1. Cut the pay of all the workers a small amount.
2.Reduce some of the services for a year.
3. Put a freeze on hiring, raises, and cut benefits.
4.Consolidate those 2 school boards.
5. Cut out the school breakfast program.
There are things that can be done before our taxes are raised.
If John Q Public doesn’t have the money to operate his buisiness he has to tighten his belt and cut his expenses.
What would my boss say if I told him needed a raise to pay for all the tax increases that the local government was imposing on me?
He would tell me to sacrifice.
Cut the spending to match you budget!!!
YES!! CUT THE SPENDING NOW!!!!
BTW- I am just finding the informer, and this beats the heck out of the Columbian Progress!
You got that right. Awesome comment!
A poor economy is stated as the reason the value went down. You DO NOT RAISE TAXES on people suffering from a poor economy!!! How about cutting the county’s operating budget? Why is this so hard to grasp? Almost every state agency & institution has had their budget cut – all will be operating on less than they had the year before. Marion County is going to have to play along like everyone else and operate on less!
It is so hard to grasp because the people making these decisions obviously have jobs with an income. As was stated in another article, the cost for a $100,000 household will be about $20. Do you think those making the decision to raise the taxes or even request more money for their budgets care about the rest of the citizens in this county? That is rather obvious to me when superviser Rowell was asked IF HE THINKS the millage rate will have to be increased, and he defers it to the president of the BOS.Can he not think for himself? Does he need some music to tap dance to?
YES!!!!
Quote
“It’s going to hurt as far as what we take in,” agreed Supervisor Raymon Rowell
Yes it will hurt the TAX payers of Marion County not the Tax imposers.
It’s time that Marion County Officials (From Supervisors to the School Board, County and City ) stop and take a deep breath and take a close look at where all the money is being spent. There are ways to operate with the current Tax Rate with out imposing more taxes on the hard working people of Marion County. Learn to live on a budget like I do. I don’t get a raise where I work every 6 to 8 months like to County does.
Our country is in the worse economy in decades. People are losing there jobs everyday in this country. We wonder why people are moving away.
The county currently assesses a total of 131.96 mills; other counties next to us are a lot less.
I believe Forrest County is at 119 mills the last time I looked. Maybe the informer needs to post all the milliage rates for Counties in Mississippi.
I would support a tax increase to bring Industrial business here. More people working equals more money being spent.
I totally agree with all of the above. Most of Columbia’s citizens are penny pinching to make ends meet. People are not buying new cars and personal property because they can’t afford them. Neither can we afford to be punished with higher taxes simply for not buying what we can’t afford. If the county or city can not afford what they previously could, then they too must stop buying what they can’t afford. It is time for gov. to learn that when citizens have to penny pinch, the gov. does too.
How’s that Pioneer Aerospace Corp. tax exemption looking just about now?
From my understanding none of the county employees (except school board) received a raise last year. Think about the businessess that have been lost in the last year including Wellstone and Orleans Furniture. Didn’t the state reduce how much funding was given to the counties last year? If so, then is this the reason why the motor vehicle is down? This would not be the fault of Marion County, it would be a state problem.
Just remember this. Not only are you getting hit with tax increases, but with health insurance increases as well. But those increases likely don’t do a thing for your health. Take a look at the insurance premiums YOU pay for the average public servant these days, days when people are struggling to keep their own families covered.
Question??? Do the alderpeople and school board members get coverage? If so, what % do they pay vs. the % YOU pay to cover them.
That’s my big gripe these days. Private sector folks have been getting clobbered with premium increases, while public service employees seem to be shielded from the steep increases. That, I say, is unAmerican.
I AGREE WITH ALL OF THE POST ABOVE. THE COUNTY,CITY B.O.S.AND ALL SEEM TO THINK,WELL,WE WILL JUST RAISE TAXES ON PEOPLE IT WILL BE O.K. NO WONDER PEOPLE CANT AFFORD ANY NEW CARS OR ANYTHING AS FAR AS THAT GOES. ALL THE ABOVE POST WERE VERY WELL PUT,IT JUST SHOWS THAT THE PEOPLE OF THE COUNTY AND CITY ARE FEED UP WITH ALL THE B.S.
I vote they lower city & county salaries, get rid of programs and overhead. Turn the light when they leave a room. WE’RE TAXED OUT.
I agree the city and county need to do penny pinching themselves.
Car tag are our of sight….This is so stupid.That why we have so many junkers on our streets.people cant afford to buy new car- trucks because the tags eat you up every year.Louisiana charges 40 dollars for 4 years. It cost me 1300 dollars for 2 vehicles this year over and above the cost of insurance and the notes.Poor state making poor decisions.Give the people a break and the local business’s too. Im sure sales would go through the roof.
It is not just a poor state making poor decisions, remember the poor decisions of the county and city politicians and controllers when the elections roll around. I for one do appreciate Josh and his crew for what they have done with the Informer. They have brought out many good stories and much information about what is and what has been going on in this area. Hopefully they have opened the eyes of many voters. Thank you Josh and the staff of the Marion County Informer.
Yes I agree Josh has done a great job by giving people a voice. People in this town are so afraid to voice their opinions and buck the system.The only way change will come is if everyone pulls together. Squeaky wheels draws attention.
I calculated the city & county takes in a minimum of 10,000,000 anually. We, the taxpayers have a right to know where each dollar is spent. PUT IT ALL ON THE INTERNET.