Moultonboro State Rep Betsey Patten

[fatlazyless]

Tax assessments hearings end with more criticism
Thursday, December 6, 2007

Lincoln N.H. (AP) - Hearings around New Hampshire on the way property values are determined ended the way they began, with questions about how views should be considered and a call for the chairman of a state board to resign.

The Assessing Standards Board held the last of the series of hearings in Lincoln on Tuesday. About two dozen people turned out, including residents who attended the first meeting in Colebrook a month ago.

At that meeting, Stewartstown resident Rick Samson asked board chair Betsey Patten to step down. He asked again Tuesday night.

Samson: "Will you resign?"

Patten: "I will discuss your question with the board when we sit on Dec.13."

Samson: "I asked you for your answer."

Patten: "You are not going to get one."

Others said they were frustrated not to have received answers to questions they asked at earlier forums. Patten has said the questions would be discussed at the Dec. 13 meeting, and those who asked them would be contacted with responses.

Many questions delt with what critics are calling a "view tax." They say assessmens have risen unfairly on property with views.

Tom Thomson of Orford, a tax critic and member of the board questioned Revenue Commissioner Phil Blatsos, saying he didn't believe the board or Blatsos had been serving taxpayers.

Thomson said there is no definition of a view in assessing manuals.

"It is the wow factor or the you-know-it-when-you-see-it," he said, adding that he has had several conversations with Blatsos about clarifying the view issue in the draft of an assessing reference manual the board has been developing for nearly two years.

"We are still no closer than we were a year ago," Thomson said. "You told me commissioner, we were going to do that and we have not done that. If this state was going to value views, we need a clear and concise definition.

"(The public) is crying for answers," he said.
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My opinion here: This hopefully is an issue which will not go away and will get bigger and bigger as we get closer to the November 2008 election.

If you feel the same, then lets vote Moultonboro State Rep Betsey Patten a new title as a FORMER State Rep.

Now that some long time NH residents who have views are getting hit with some big property tax bills, it is not just waterfronters like myself who are feeling the pain. It is absolutely not a good feeling to watch your property tax bill grow and grow every year until you seriously wonder how you will be able to afford your home. When it's a house that's been in your family for generations, pelple start to think,,,,ugh...no...what exactly is happening here, and it is not a happy place to be.