If we band together, we can change property tax system

As time for the payment of our property tax is approaching we are painfully reminded of the debacle involving our property assessments in Bonner County. Those that filed an appeal and received a reduction of their assessed value were dealt a blow when the Idaho State Tax Commission negated the county commissioners rollback of all the assessments to the previous years value. The State Tax Commission's mandated assessment generally resulted in a higher assessment than the one originally done by the Bonner County Assessor's Office. And to add to the pain, we were told that we had no recourse to appeal.

However, some of us did appeal and we have received packets from the Idaho State Board of Tax Appeals acknowledging the receipt of our appeals. Some of us made calls to clarify the intent of these packets and were told that around 500 appeals were received and that the Tax Appeals Board would be meeting within the next two to four weeks to decide if they "could hear the appeals."

Will these appeals be heard? We don't know, but we do know that if they are not heard there may be grounds for a civil rights lawsuit based on the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution that guarantees the right to "petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Meanwhile, we should all pay our property taxes in protest. Write "paid in protest" on the check or go to the Web site of Idaho Citizens For Tax Reform — www.taxstop.org —and download the protest form. If you are serious about doing something about these high assessments you should join this group. We can only make changes if we band together.

TRECY CARPENTER

Hope