I am addressing this letter to every person who owns residential or business property in the City of Monroe, and appealing to them to let their voices be heard on the street repair and reconstruction issue at the informational meeting at 7 p.m. April 22, and also at the public hearing at 7:30 p.m. May 6, both in City Hall.
At the last city council meeting, the majority of alderpersons indicated they believe it is all right to tax each adjoining property owner (who does not live on a major thoroughfare) individually for street repair and reconstruction in front or on the side of their home. They do so, because this has been the policy for the past 20 years.
This is outright wrong!
If you are the unfortunate person who happens, by choice, to live on one of these non-major streets, you will have added to your property tax an outrageous amount for the cost of street repair and reconstruction in front of your home.
To give you a hypothetical example, let's say that a street reconstruction with curb and gutter repair costs $60,000. There are 10 homes are on that street, and the City assesses 25 percent of that cost to the homeowners for a total of $15,000. That means each adjoining property owner will have $1,500 added to their tax bill. And, get this, you have 90 days to pay for this.
To make matters worse, can you imagine what that tax bill would be if you lived on a corner lot and work was being done on both sides of your property? I'd hate to guess.
You are being punished and discriminated against because you do not live on a major street. Also, if you did not have a sidewalk in front of your home and there is curb and gutter now being added with the reconstruction of the street, you will definitely have a sidewalk added in front of your home, at an additional expense to that $1,500 bill.
So, if we have to pay for the sidewalk, curb and gutter, and street work done in front of our property, does that mean we have the right to tell people they can't use the sidewalks and the streets in front of our property because we, not they, paid for it? Absolutely not ... because it's city property.
City property, in my opinion, means it's shared equally by everyone, including the expense. Major streets, according to the City, are non-assessable, because they are used by more people. City streets, much like sidewalks, are used by everyone. They are part of the infrastructure of the city. The expense should be shared equally by everyone and paid for out of the general fund. That's part of being a homeowner in this town.
It's more palatable to have a few dollars added to your tax bill for the infrastructure of the city than to be hit with a whopping surprise bill when work is done on the street in front of your property. This is not a matter of if this will happen to you, it's a matter of when.
Although my job on the Monroe City Council is to work for the citizens who elected me in my ward, on this issue every alderperson should be looking out for every citizen in the city. It will take a lot of people standing up to this bad policy to change it. If you can afford these taxes and disagree with me, that's fine. But if you feel this policy is wrong and you don't want to be hit with this burdensome tax, please attend the May 6 city council meeting.
Let's fill up the chamber room.
I would also like any citizen who wants to work with me on changing this policy to contact me. Let's meet! Let's get a group of citizens together (whether you live in my ward, or any other ward) to work on a new policy to be brought before the City Council to change a current bad policy.
I can be reached at 214-5893 or jlefevre@mrink.com.
At the last city council meeting, the majority of alderpersons indicated they believe it is all right to tax each adjoining property owner (who does not live on a major thoroughfare) individually for street repair and reconstruction in front or on the side of their home. They do so, because this has been the policy for the past 20 years.
This is outright wrong!
If you are the unfortunate person who happens, by choice, to live on one of these non-major streets, you will have added to your property tax an outrageous amount for the cost of street repair and reconstruction in front of your home.
To give you a hypothetical example, let's say that a street reconstruction with curb and gutter repair costs $60,000. There are 10 homes are on that street, and the City assesses 25 percent of that cost to the homeowners for a total of $15,000. That means each adjoining property owner will have $1,500 added to their tax bill. And, get this, you have 90 days to pay for this.
To make matters worse, can you imagine what that tax bill would be if you lived on a corner lot and work was being done on both sides of your property? I'd hate to guess.
You are being punished and discriminated against because you do not live on a major street. Also, if you did not have a sidewalk in front of your home and there is curb and gutter now being added with the reconstruction of the street, you will definitely have a sidewalk added in front of your home, at an additional expense to that $1,500 bill.
So, if we have to pay for the sidewalk, curb and gutter, and street work done in front of our property, does that mean we have the right to tell people they can't use the sidewalks and the streets in front of our property because we, not they, paid for it? Absolutely not ... because it's city property.
City property, in my opinion, means it's shared equally by everyone, including the expense. Major streets, according to the City, are non-assessable, because they are used by more people. City streets, much like sidewalks, are used by everyone. They are part of the infrastructure of the city. The expense should be shared equally by everyone and paid for out of the general fund. That's part of being a homeowner in this town.
It's more palatable to have a few dollars added to your tax bill for the infrastructure of the city than to be hit with a whopping surprise bill when work is done on the street in front of your property. This is not a matter of if this will happen to you, it's a matter of when.
Although my job on the Monroe City Council is to work for the citizens who elected me in my ward, on this issue every alderperson should be looking out for every citizen in the city. It will take a lot of people standing up to this bad policy to change it. If you can afford these taxes and disagree with me, that's fine. But if you feel this policy is wrong and you don't want to be hit with this burdensome tax, please attend the May 6 city council meeting.
Let's fill up the chamber room.
I would also like any citizen who wants to work with me on changing this policy to contact me. Let's meet! Let's get a group of citizens together (whether you live in my ward, or any other ward) to work on a new policy to be brought before the City Council to change a current bad policy.
I can be reached at 214-5893 or jlefevre@mrink.com.
