City Beat

City Beat

By George Murin
The Weekly Recorder
March 21, 2008

Washington- On March 13, 2008 a new record was probably set for the quickest city council meeting: One minute and 35 seconds. The only items that were brought up were; appointing Nick Dubina and Dan Petrola to the City of Washington’s Planning Commission; and entering into an agreement with Isiminger’s for the city’s towing contract.

Before the council meeting the city held a meeting explaining the change in real estate taxes. The city adopted the full assessed value of the property for taxing purposes. Mayor Sonny Spossey spoke and answered questions for 40 minutes, while the rest of city council and the city solicitor sat at a table to his right, except for Councilman Matt Staniszewski, who sat in the audience. Staniszewski reminded everyone many times during the meeting that he was opposed to changing the way the city assessed property taxes and was against raising taxes at all. There were 22 people at this meeting. Only 11 were citizens not affiliated with city government.

The mayor looked uncomfortable as he explained that now the tax appeals on property will be less since there is no argument of which percentage to use in determining the taxable amount of the assessment. The State allows is 13.3% while the county allows 25%, this is based on real estate sale since the last count assessment in 1985. Now the pre-determined ratio will be 100%. The mayor stated, “The (Tax) increase had nothing to do with the switching to the pre-determined ratio. It was necessitated due to the $1.2 million deficit that we (council) inherited…Switching was revenue neutral...everything we received last year remains the same (before the tax increase)…On February 7, 2008, we thought the only way to address the issues of the city, without going bankrupt or going to court for additional monies…was to increase taxes by 30 mils.”

If this seems confusing; it should be. While talking with Lane Turturice, the city solicitor, he showed me a huge book dealing with the subject. The book was larger than the State’s third class city code book. Nothing dealing with the state is ever simple. Antiquated and confusing laws and rules are a gold mine for attorneys and many of the legislators are attorneys.

The mayor ended the meeting with.” We didn’t want to do this, I pay taxes, Tom pays taxes…we all pay taxes to the city…there is no reason this council…will want to raise anymore taxes. As far as we’re concerned, this is it. We’re done.”

After the meeting a somber Spossey told me it was one of the hardest things he ever did to vote to raise taxes. I believe him. I’ve known Sonny many years and although we do not agree on some issues, I’ve always found him an upstanding individual, who I like and respect.

Later I discussed the tax increase with two local businessmen. Each person’s city real estate taxes are going up over $1,000 a year. One showed me his tax statement and he will now pay over $4,400 just in city real estate taxes. I just don’t know how many city entrepreneurs can afford this.

(On another note, a few weeks ago council had a work secession in which the city solicitor warned council members that they should not put anything in an e-mail that they do not want made public knowledge. One member of council turned white as a sheet when this was said. Find out who in Secrets column in this issue.)