New Beach Organization Forming to Advocate Property Tax FairnessIf you are a resident of North or South Beach, Sand Key, or Island Estates and are unhappy with your property tax assessment, an organization to protest this situation is now forming. The Clearwater Beach Property Tax Relief Fund, (CB-PTRF) is being formed to be your advocate in an organized protest. Every resident is urged to examine last year's tax bill and compare your assessment to today's current market value as determined by the most recent sales in your immediate area. You will find in many cases, the assessment now exceeds current market values. We are in the process of engaging legal counsel to lead the proactive effort for fair and realistic appraisals. Once we have finalized our choice for representation, a town meeting will be organized to plan our path forward. Any property tax appeal attorneys interested in this effort should contact the writer immediately. This is not an effort to re-create the Boston Tea Party, but to legally seek fairness.
Obviously, this effort is going to cost money for legal counsel, and to a lesser degree, administrative costs including mailings. I am asking every concerned residential property owner to donate $50 to this fund. These donations should be in the form of a check and include your name, address and telephone number(s). Make your check payable to: CB-PTRF and mail it to the fund's administrative assistant:
Realizing many owners will be leaving town by the end of March, it is imperative that you act quickly so the effort is not stalled by lack of funding. Our intent will be to do as much as possible to influence the new appraisals. We will obviously not be in a financial position to appeal every individual case, but we will be able to recommend legal advice for remedy through our attorney. We all realize municipal services are to, a large degree, funded by property taxes, but at the same time are suggesting there are other means for government to consider in funding, other than an unfair property tax. This is your opportunity to make a difference in your situation, hopefully saving you a considerable amount of money. ACT QUICKLY! - Bill Smith, President, Marina House Condo Association, Clearwater Point, E-mail: w2smith@aol.com
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