There was some discussion of the getting a crane to help move crusher equipment at the rock quarry. Commissioner Coleman said that when he was working with cranes they always tried to oversize the crane by 5x of whatever they are trying to lift. The commissioners were going to check to see just how much the equipment that needs to be moved weighs.
There will be no commission meeting on Friday due to the holiday. There will be no commission meeting on Monday due to the Kansas Association of Counties annual conference.
A citizen came in to talk to the commissioners about a large rock that bent up the A-arm and stabilizer from bottom of his car last Tuesday when he hit it and it drug him over into the ditch. The commissioners and county clerk gave him a form to fill out for the county insurance company.
Sewer District
Two citizens, John Scott & Curt Shankel, were updating the advisory committee for the new sewer district. The sewer system should be operational by the end of the month. They are asking that the committee be kept in the loop particularly in matters related to the price increases. They discussed how to keep things fair if people want to connect to the district in the future. The commissioners based a motion to recognize the advisory committee in an advisory capacity.
Vacation & Holiday
The commissioners passed a motion to close the landfill on Saturday when there is a holiday that falls on a Monday or Friday.
Redfield Alleged Stalker
The Mayor of Redfield, Gary Judd, came to talk to the commissioners about an alleged stalker / peeping tom. He said that citizens have started arming themselves and walking the streets at night. The other evening two citizens were out with a baseball bat and shotgun. He was concerned that some of the people arming themselves “shouldn’t even have a gun.” He said the sheriff’s department is doing the best they can do, but he was still concerned that someone was going to get hurt.
Allegedly someone broke into an individual’s home, watched her sleep, and kidnapped her from a convenience store. The review of the tapes from the convenience store doesn’t seem to support that.
He said there was a city council meeting tonight where the issue is going to be discussed.
The Commissioners suggested that he talk with the sherrif. The Mayor said he had tried, but no one called him back. He felt like the person at the front desk was interrogating him. He said that if there was anything Redfield could do to work with the sheriff’s department, they would be very willing.
The Mayor came back after talking with the sheriff and said he and the sheriff were both questioning the validity of the allegations, but that the sheriff’s department was helping the town with the issue.
Quarry Meeting
The commissioners are meeting with the road and bridge crew at 7 am, November 9th at the county barn to discuss the move to a new quarry.
So, no announcement that the Property Tax amounts had been posted to the Bourbon County website? And no meeting Friday or Monday? Seriously, I think at this point, everyone that has read my post knows exactly what I am thinking. Well, that will give me more time to prepare. You know I tried to figure the property tax rate by backtracking on 4 properties and came up with 4 different rates and while just a few hairs this way or that, it adds up. I can’t blame it on my computer software because I was using a $10.00 solar calculator. Gosh, I love math though and usually do it long hand!
I did learn this:
“There are 102 tax units in Bourbon County and they are all different, based on the township, school district, city, cemetery, fire district, watershed, library, light district, hospital, etc. in which they reside. The tax unit for most of Fort Scott is 002 and the 2011 levy rate for that unit is 185.166.
In order to calculate property tax, you multiply the appraised value (100% value) by the assessment rate (11.5% for residential) to get the assessed value. Then you multiply the assessed value times the levy (.185166) to get the taxes. There’s also an exemption for the school general fund on the first $20,000 of residential properties that you need to subtract after that. ($46.00 max)
Example: $50,000 home in Fort Scott
$50,000 x 11.5% = 5,750
5,750 x .185166 = $1,064.70 – $46.00 school exemption = $1,018.70 taxes
There are several factors to consider when trying to calculate taxes: what tax unit is involved, what is the classification of the property (residential, agricultural, commercial, vacant) as they are all different.”
I still think the numbers I looked at seemed “off”.
I did post about the tax being on internet. It came out under why wasn’t this property sold. I don’t know why, but I goofed somewhere.
Computer software, I bet! The other alternate leads to being tarred and feathered in the town square and I have yet to see that done but I’m on standby in case it does happen because I want to be there! I cannot get the tax rate to work out the same in each case even using my own neighborhood. I can’t blame computer software but solar calculator not getting much sun at the moment. I am surprised that they did not mention getting the taxes on the internet at the Commission meeting as I would think there would be a deadline and we have to be close at this point. I am protesting!
Cecilia: That was an excellent post and you really should copy and paste it here to make sure everyone does see it.
I wanted to credit Joanne Long, County Clerk with providing me the tax information and also all the other information (there has been a lot of questions that I have had over 5 years) that I have asked. Here is the additional:
“I did think of a few more things for you, though. Some properties have special assessments on them (where a house was demolished or the City had to mow/pick up trash), so that will be in addition to the calculated tax. I’m not sure how those show up on the tax search program.
In addition, you have to round the calculated assessed value to a whole number, either up or down, before you calculate taxes.
I mentioned the different assessment rates. They are:
Residential/Farmland 11.5%
Vacant 12%
Commercial 25%
Ag land 30%
Ag bldg 25%
Also, you’re taxed for what was there on January 1st of each year. So, if you’re building a house and all that was there was the slab on Jan 1, that’s what you’re taxed for that year. Conversely, if your house burns down in the middle of the year, you’re taxed for what was there on Jan 1, too.
If you have any questions, let me know.
Joanne END OF MESSAGE
I do feel it is necessary to question everything coming out of the County Treasurer’s Office. Additionally, we need an answer as to whether the County Attorney is going to work for the will of the people and oust the County Treasurer so that those of us that know right from wrong can start the recall procedure. She just can’t sit in there as you send a message about the entire county and what message do you send to the youth. Is she any better than anyone else that breaks the law? This is not a victimless crime!
no comment changed my mind
Some how, the “Merri” comment ended up under the article about the Pet Store. She/He appeared to be stating that someone was on the payment plan that wants to see this situation remedied and questioned whether their name was in the newspaper. From all the past comments I have read, one person opposing the lawlessness of the situation in the treasurer’s office had their name published (I do not know the year), was not on the payment plan and paid their taxes and is not years later still in a revolving hopelessness of never catching up. That person was not breaking the law and the issue here is the laws being broken by the County Treasurer and all the money disappearing from the system making these tax statements going in the mail even larger because someone was not following the law. It is just too simple for words! A payment plan is not necessary and only better for those that were benefiting by the laws being broken by the County Treasurer. She/He seemed to think that the problem was the County Commissioners and the problem I see there is that they have not been updating the people since they do not have any power over the County Treasurer and she/he does not answer to them as a unit but to them only as individual taxpayers (just like the rest of us) – they can advice but not force her to do anything and all laws broken were her choice.