Upping vehicle tax may help pay Incline property owners
By Susan Voyles, Reno Gazette-Journal
Washoe County residents could pay an additional 1 percent tax to register their vehicles to help pay Incline Village property owners $17 million as ordered by the Nevada Supreme Court and to help balance the county budget for years to come, as proposed in a new study.
John Breternitz, commission chairman, on Tuesday told a review panel that the tax is one option commissioners will consider next week to pay tax refunds owed to 8,000 village residents for the 2006-07 tax year. The vehicle excise tax would generate $8 million a year.
The Supreme Court ruled July 7 that former county treasurer Bill Berrum should have reduced their property taxes after the county board of equalization voted in February 2006 to roll back their property values to 2002-03 levels to comply with an earlier court case.
In a January 2006 ruling, the Carson District Court determined that former county assessor Robert McGowan’s methods of appraising Tahoe views, beaches and other unique features were unconstitutional because they were not sanctioned by the state.
In February 2006, the state Supreme Court delayed enforcement of that district ruling calling for refunds while the case was being appealed. The Supreme Court also advised the county to follow the reasoning given by the district court judge, Bill Maddox.
The study by Management Partners, meanwhile, points to the vehicle excise tax as one means of balancing future budgets.
See, suing the State never works. The State has no money of its own, only what it takes from its citizens. So the people pay. It makes me crazy when one govt agency sues another (TRPA vs Airport?) The people who are guilty of the action don’t pay, the taxpayers do.
Just stop it!
It is the bumbling bureaucrats of Washoe County, including former county treasurer Bill Berrum and former county assessor Robert McGowan, bumping into each other while collecting their hefty paychecks and perks, every day calculating their abundant pensions, who should have their vehicle taxes increased. Of course, they are now long gone and nowhere to be found.
Why not just determine amounts owed in the refund and give property tax credits for current and future years until paid? To raise taxes on the general public to pay back over taxation of the public isn’t a refund.
get the money from the legislaturers who caused the problem whether they are still employees or not. attache their retirement income.