Tax reappraisals are not fair

Please everyone, protest property taxes if you believe your newly appraised home value is unfair. Remember that the Montana Legislature recently allowed the Department of Revenue to re-assess the actual market value of your homes in July 2008, before the bottom dropped out of the market and the recession started, and the following Legislature's mitigation failed to eliminate those huge increases. I am very angry about the unfairness.

I believe our legislators have put an unfair burden on Whitefish property owners. When the Montana Legislature was in session, our lawmakers told us our property tax bills would only go up $200, and only a few owners' property tax bills would increase by $2,000. That is just false.

Many of us have seen huge increases — way over the $2,000 the legislators claimed. To approximate your increase in actual taxes, use a simple ratio:

¥ Current valuation / old valuation = new property taxes / old property taxes

¥ Cross-multiply and divide to find your estimated news property tax amount

Remember that the Department of Revenue won't notify you of your actual tax bill until seven months after the 30-day limit is over for you to protest the new assessed property value. That is not fair.

I am urging you to call 758-5700 and ask for form AB 26 if you want to object to your new assessed value. You only have until Oct. 2 to return the completed form. If you do not, you will not be able to protest your assessment when your actual property tax bill arrives in the mail.

If you want to protest without the form, visit the Flathead County Department of Revenue at 100 Financial Drive — it's the office located behind the old Gateway West Mall, using Two Mile Road.

Whitefish and Flathead County should not have to carry the entire state. I think some of the legislators believe we are all rich so we can afford to carry the state's property tax burden. Some of us are simply not wealthy.

California uses a different system, so their taxes do not go up until they sell their property. That's the only reason that Santa Barbara, has any seniors around. Is the Legislature destined to tax its seniors out of Whitefish and Flathead Valley?

Google "Montana Legislators' for their names and addresses and write or e-mail your thoughts. Let's not pay the tax burden for the entire state of Montana by ourselves.

Judy Pettinato lives in Whitefish.