Urgent Action Needed
Dear VOTORS:The 2007 session of the Virginia General Assembly has begun. Our real estate property tax issue is represented by bill number H.J.R. 559, patroned by Del. Jeff Frederick (District 52), that will reform Virginia’s property tax system to one based on acquisition value and limit annual increases in assessments and tax rates.
H.J.R. 559 will be debated in the Privileges and Elections Committee beginning Wednesday, January 17, 2007, in Sub-committee #1 chaired by Del. Bob Marshall. The Delegates on that sub-committee need to hear from you before they debate our bill. Please send an email to each of the Delegates in the list below. For your convenience, I have provided three things: a brief email text for your use, a list of the sub-committee Delegates with their respective email addresses and a copy of the sub-committee agenda containing information about H.J.R. 559. Del. Johnny Joannou does not have a listed email address, so I have provided his capitol office phone number instead.
Email text:
Dear Delegate ________________________:
Please support and vote for H.J.R. 559 when you begin debate on the issue of real estate property tax reform in Virginia.
We have been suffering for years from a capricious and arbitrary property tax system with annual property tax increases that rise without limit due to market forces beyond our control. Families have had to drastically reduce spending and savings levels in order to cope with tax increases. It is not uncommon for families to be forced from their homes in search of more affordable property taxes.
Please help us by supporting H.J.R.559.
Sincerely,
List of Delegate email addresses (Frederick not listed because he is the patron):
Marshall, R.G. (Chairman) DelBMarshall@house.state.va.us
Del. Ingram DelRIngram@house.state.va.us
Del. Cole DelMCole@house.state.va.us
Del. Hugo DelTHugo@house.state.va.us
Del. Fralin DelWFralin@house.state.va.us
Del. O’Bannon DelJOBannon@house.state.va.us
Del. Phillips DelBPhillips@house.state.va.us
Del. Alexander DelKAlexander@house.state.va.us
Del. Joannou (804) 698-1079
Del. Sickles DelMSickles@house.state.va.us
Agenda:
House Committee on Privileges and Elections
Subcommittee #1 (Marshall, R.G.)
Marshall, R.G. (Chairman), Ingram, Cole, Hugo, Frederick, Fralin, O’Bannon, Phillips, Alexander, Joannou, Sickles
Date of Meeting: January 17, 2007
Time and Place: 5:00 p.m. — 4th Floor West
H.J.R. 559
Patron: Frederick
Constitutional amendment (first resolution); real property assessments and tax rates. Provides that assessments of real property shall not increase annually by more than one percent plus the percentage increase, if any, in the rate of inflation. Increases in the rate of taxation on real property are limited to one percent per year.
Thanks to all of you VOTORS for your commitment to Virginia’s real estate property tax reform. The Delegates will give us the property tax reform we seek, but only if they are convinced how important it is to us.
Al Aitken
Chairman
VOTORS
chairman@votors.org
www.votors.org
540.825.1057
540.729.0536
Yes, I know it’s a little late, but it still wouldn’t hurt to send correspondence to either these or your own representatives. I doubt that they have completed debating the issue yet.
