Appraisals of Levy County property values are down, and with them tax revenues are down. Budget cuts are wisely being considered. New sources of income may help, but closing property tax "leaks" are a source of income that should be pursued. Properties claiming agricultural (timber) classification receive reduced taxation, yet there is clear evidence that some so called timber land is actually real estate development. Blocks of land adjacent to cities, purchased for amounts exceeding forest product economic dreams should not get tax relief. Land fenced and with sweeping lanes through wooded area may be fine for hunting, but this is not agricultural timber production. These acreages look like real estate developments. Where are the required timber management plans and records of timber harvest? Most striking are coastal lands with no apparent timber or timber harvesting that have come before county planners with extensive development plans. Where are the timber management plans or harvest records? These lands are taxed at less than $20 per acre. All other tax payers carry the burden. With proper appraisal, based on sale price, absent timber management plans, no record of timber sales and official records of development efforts, tax revenues can be generated. A smaller, but real, source of revenue could come from enforcement of homestead requirements for tax exemption. Rental properties sheltered by a homestead exemption are tax evasions on a small scale. But tax evasion that puts the tax burden on honest tax payers. Another source of revenue should be the housing of out-of-county prisoners in the new 170 bed wing of the Levy County Jail. The expansion of the jail was justified by plans to rent the beds to federal and other prisoners.
Finally, aggressive pursuit of federal stimulus money to replace decrepit Category 3 and 4 county bridges could relieve Levy County of expenses that would otherwise deplete the Levy County treasury. The bottom line-cutting needed services can be avoided by plugging tax leak and finding new sources of revenue. | 