UNITED STATES – February 2019 Contents USA - THE PROBLEM WITH PROPERTY TAXES......................................................................................................... 3 USA - LESSONS FROM AMAZON'S DECISION TO CANCEL NEW YORK CITY HEADQUARTERS ................................... 4 USA - SANDERS’ ESTATE TAX PLAN WON’T LIKELY RAISE THE REVENUE INTENDED ............................................... 6 USA - HOW BIG-BOX STORES BILK LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ..................................................................................... 6 USA - THESE MAJOR U.S. CITIES ARE SEEING PROPERTY TAX INCREASES THIS YEAR .............................................. 8 USA - THUNE LEADS COLLEAGUES IN REINTRODUCING A PERMANENT REPEAL TO THE ESTATE TAX ..................... 9 USA - SANDERS PROPOSES ESTATE TAX OF UP TO 77 PERCENT FOR BILLIONAIRES ................................................ 9 USA - THE SELF-STORAGE PROPERTY-TAX CONUNDRUM: ALTERNATIVES TO BETTER OUR COMMUNITIES ........ 10 CALIFORNIA ................................................................................................................................................................. 12 PROP 13 SPLIT-ROLL TAX INCREASE WOULD HURT BUSINESS, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING EFFORTS ................. 12 CALIFORNIA BUSINESSES SHOULD REJECT EFFORTS LEVERAGING THREAT OF SPLIT ROLL FOR OTHER TAX HIKES 13 CHANGING PROP. 13 COULD WORSEN CALIFORNIA’S HOUSING CRISIS. HERE’S HOW ......................................... 14 HAWAII ........................................................................................................................................................................ 15 PROPERTY TAX CHANGES COMING ...................................................................................................................... 15 ILLINOIS ........................................................................................................................................................................ 16 REAL ESTATE TAX 2019: NEW ASSESSOR, NEW POLICIES ..................................................................................... 16 ILLINOIS STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS SPEND MOST IN NATION ON PENSIONS ......................................... 17 NEW COMMISSIONER WORKS WITH COUNTY ASSESSOR TO MAKE WEBSITE EASIER TO USE .............................. 18 PROPERTY TAX RATES NEARLY DOUBLE SINCE 2007 AS RESIDENTS LEAVE HARVEY, ILLINOIS .............................. 19 IT'S TIME TO MODERNIZE THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE .............................................................................................. 20 OTTAWA CONSIDERING EXTENDING DOWNTOWN TIF ........................................................................................ 21 WHY ARE FOLKS LEAVING CHICAGO? UNFAIR TAXES ........................................................................................... 22 INDIANA ....................................................................................................................................................................... 23 TAX COURT UPHOLDS 26 PERCENT INCREASE IN HOME VALUATION ................................................................... 23 INDIANAPOLIS .............................................................................................................................................................. 24 COUNTIES FIGHT BIG BOX STORES ON PROPERTY TAX APPEALS .......................................................................... 24 IOWA ........................................................................................................................................................................... 25 International Property Tax Institute IPTI Xtracts- The items included in IPTI Xtracts have been extracted from published information. IPTI accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of the information or any opinions expressed in the articles. P a g e | 2 OUTGROWING THE EFFECTS OF PROPERTY TAX REFORM .................................................................................... 25 MASSACHUSETTS ......................................................................................................................................................... 27 REAL ESTATE TAX REALITY ................................................................................................................................... 27 BOSTON CITY COUNCIL WANTS FAIR SHARE FROM PILOT ORGANIZATIONS ........................................................ 28 MICHIGAN .................................................................................................................................................................... 29 MICHIGAN SUPREME COURT AGREES TO HEAR PROPERTY TAX CASE .................................................................. 29 MTA SHARES ASSESSMENT AND PROPERTY TAX BASICS ...................................................................................... 30 MONTANA ................................................................................................................................................................... 31 BILL WOULD CREATE PROP-TAX MORATORIUM FOR NEW BROADBAND CABLE IN MT ....................................... 32 NEBRASKA .................................................................................................................................................................... 32 NEBRASKA PROPERTY TAX FIGHT ........................................................................................................................ 32 PROPERTY TAXES REMAIN A PERENNIAL PROBLEM ............................................................................................. 33 NEW HAMPSHIRE ......................................................................................................................................................... 34 A LESSON IN THE BURDEN OF PROPERTY TAXES .................................................................................................. 34 NEW JERSEY ................................................................................................................................................................. 35 OVER $200K SPENT ON TAX APPEALS FOLLOWING CITY REVALUATION............................................................... 35 YOUR VACATION TO THE JERSEY SHORE IS ABOUT TO GET MORE EXPENSIVE. BLAME IT ON TAXES. ................... 35 SOME JAW DROPPING NEW JERSEY PROPERTY TAX NUMBERS ........................................................................... 38 NEW YORK ................................................................................................................................................................... 38 PIED-À-TERRE TAX GAINS CITY COUNCIL SUPPORT WITH NEW RESOLUTION ....................................................... 38 CHALLENGING YOUR NYC PROPERTY VALUE ASSESSMENT MAY BE EASIER THAN EVER ...................................... 39 THE $238 MILLION PENTHOUSE PROVOKES A FIERCE RESPONSE: TAX IT ............................................................. 40 NYC PROPERTY TAX OVERHAUL PITS NEIGHBOR AGAINST NEIGHBOR ................................................................. 42 LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD ON PROPERTY TAXES WON’T BE PAINLESS ........................................................... 45 NORTH CAROLINA ........................................................................................................................................................ 46 HOW’S THE MECKLENBURG PROPERTY REVALUATION GOING? HERE’S AN EARLY CLUE ..................................... 46 OHIO ............................................................................................................................................................................ 46 AUDITOR CRITICS ASK STATE TO ORDER NEW PROPERTY REVALUATION ............................................................ 46 END EXTRAVAGANT TAX BREAKS FOR THE WEALTHY .......................................................................................... 48 CRITICS FEAR SYSTEMIC MISTAKES IN LUCAS COUNTY AUDITOR'S HOME VALUES .............................................. 49 TENNESSEE .................................................................................................................................................................. 52 ELECTROLUX UNDERPAID TAXES BECAUSE OF LAND ASSESSMENT UNDERVALUED BY $100 MILLION ................. 52 TEXAS ........................................................................................................................................................................... 53 THE PROS AND CONS OF PROPERTY TAX REFORM IN TEXAS ................................................................................ 53 ANALYSIS: HERE’S YOUR PROPERTY TAX CUT, MAYBE. HEADS UP — IT’S EXPENSIVE .......................................... 54 International Property Tax Institute IPTI Xtracts- The items included in IPTI Xtracts have been extracted from published information. IPTI accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of the information or any opinions expressed in the articles. P a g e | 3 ANALYSIS: SOMETHING’S MISSING FROM THE OPENING BID FOR PROPERTY TAX “RELIEF” IN TEXAS ................. 55 ‘BRING THE POWER OF THE DIGITAL AGE TO THE PROPERTY TAX PROCESS,’ SAYS BAKER INSTITUTE EXPERT ..... 56 TEXAS PROPERTY APPRAISAL SYSTEM NEEDS A MAJOR REVAMP ........................................................................ 57 SENATE COMMITTEE STARTS WORK ON REFORMING PROPERTY TAX ................................................................