Letters to the Editor: Charleston City Council must look for other cuts before hiking taxes
The Post & Courier
December 10, 2020
I recently read that Charleston City Council is considering spending $3 million on Volvo Car Stadium and between $500,000 and $3 million to save two old smokestacks.
The kicker is that the City Council is discussing raising property taxes and reducing rebates in order to balance the 2021 budget.
What to expect as Charleston County reassessment redistributes the property tax burden.
By David Slade, Senior Reporter The Post and Courier The word “reassessment” used to prompt confusion and fear among property owners in South Carolina, but the results of Charleston County’s reassessment this year shouldn’t result in huge changes to tax bills, as in the past. Reassessments are updates of the real estate values used to calculate…
What’s Wrong With Act 388?
Answer: Nothing! The Act is being unfairly accused of curtailing school funds and shifting the property tax burden from owner-occupied properties to business properties. Act 388 is operating as intended. School districts are being compensated by a formula which reimburses them for operating expenses adjusted for increases in the Consumer Price Index, population growth and…
A Short History of the Low Countries’ Involvement in Lowering Property Taxes
Since 1995 Lowcountry counties were experiencing 200% and 300% increases in property taxes every 5 year reassessment cycle. In 2004 two bills, H 4271 and H 3689 were introduced to limit increases in assessment to 0% and 15% respectively in the 5 year cycle. Charleston County passed a 15% cap based on previous legislation allowing…
WARNING TO HOMEOWNERS: These organizations want to undo Act 388 and return us to higher property taxes.
There are organizations at work who want to double your property tax this year. In 2006 Act 388 reduced most property tax for owner occupied residences by 50%. This was done by enacting a 1 cent sales tax dedicated to eliminating the school operating portion of the property tax bill. You might have noticed your…
