Deception in the Ward I and Ward II Aldermen Race

If you believe candidates Walters and Tubbs message about their opponents raising property taxes meant:

You did not get your city property tax bill lowered by about $10 because the aldermen voted to compensate for a drop in assessed property values by raising the rate.

Then you were not deceived.

On the other hand if you believed that the amount you paid in city property taxes increased from what you paid the year before.

Then you have been deceived.  

Start of EDITORIAL comment

Politicians who use deception to win elections are not worthy of being trusted with political power. Only you know if you were misled, and only you can decide if you want to elect someone willing to deceive you.

Did the politician at your door make you feel the amount of city property tax increased? Did they make you think it was a large amount?

End of Editorial comment

FACTS

The Hancock amendment requires that cities lower the tax rate if property values go up and allows (not requires) that they may then be raised if property values go back down. It also allows for cities to increase the amount of revenue by the amount of inflation or 5%, whichever is less.

The rate goes up and down based in if property values rise or fall.  The rate was dropped in 2004, 2005 and 2006 when property values increased.

Here are the last 10 years of the city property tax rates.

Historically the rate in 1973 was $0.75, in 1980 when the Hancock amendment was passed, the rate was $0.49.