I cannot begin to understand the legal nuances of The Jamestown Trust, but I do understand when they take land off the tax roles my/our taxes go up. The tribe now has the money to buy the best legal advice available and they are. I encourage all area residents to seek and find representatives that represent non-tribal interests. The tribe is not only buying the best legal council; they are buying your / our political representatives. Get smart and vote for representatives that represent you.
I applaud your wish to get this meeting out to the public. There are event sites around the peninsula on Facebook that would be a good place to post this announcement.
For what it's worth I am a tree planter, tree farm owner and manager. My family owns a 50-acre tree farm in Clallam County most of which was bought in the 1960s. We built a one-car sized garage there to give us a place to get out of the weather when we work on the trees. It has no running water or electricity so in that sense it is an out building. When we built this building one acre was taken off the timber tax rolls even though we planted trees within 20 feet on all side of the building. That one acre is listed separately from the rest of the tree farm parcels. On these 50 acres we pay about $230 a year in county taxes, including the one acre with the building.
Because our land is a certified tree farm we are inspected every 5 years to confirm that we are managing the land for timber. We just completed a 12 acre harvest of trees we planted 40 years ago and we made ZERO profit. These trees were part of a 25 acre project that we worked on for over 40 years to reforest a pasture. If you have ever planted in pasture grass you know how difficult such a job would be. But we succeeded in reforesting that pasture which created a valuable wildlife corridor connecting adjacent state and national forest lands. The trees were deformed when young by an unusual snow which caused a twist in about 50% of the logs just below the necessary length to be mill grade. But we provided a full-time job for two loggers for several months and provided timber to local mills. The logs that didn't go to the mill were processed by a local firewood producer so that provided even more jobs. We are happy with that and as we plant this new crop of trees on those open areas we are making changes that we hope will better protect these young trees from heavy snows. The next generations will benefit from these plantings.
As far as profits go in timber it's no cake walk. We worked over a 30 year period on our other 25 acres of 2nd growth forest. These trees were about 50 years old. First we thinned the forest - twice. Then we waited 30 years to harvest the trees. As part of the harvest we not only paid the loggers, the truckers and WA state taxes, but we also had to pay capital gains tax to the federal government. This stand of trees was top grade with about 16 rings per inch so we got top dollar for the quality. With all this said we walked away with $80,000 - enough to pay off the rest of our house mortgage. These trees were about 80 years old at the time of harvest so essentially they accumulated $1000 a year in profit value over 80 years. I hope these facts help you understand how crazy we tree farmers really are. It's in the blood. We love trees and love to plant and care for trees. We love improving habitat for wildlife and our property is also a draw for our neighbors to take strolls in the woods and commune with nature. So the value of forests goes beyond just simple finances.
We all know that many civilizations perish when they "cut the last tree." It is important that we protect our forest lands for humans, wildlife, water, air, spirit, etc. All this is my long-winded way of saying that it is important that we retain the special tax status for our local forest lands.
Note: I forgot to mention that after the harvest of the 25 acres of older trees we replanted about 9000 trees on that land. Those trees are now about 15 feet tall and I'm getting ready to thin them out by hand with a battery operated chainsaw. It's a good way to stay in shape - haha!
Please speak with Pam Rushton, the county tax assessor. She is very professional and was generous with her time when I had multiple follow up questions to her recent presentation on “Coffee with Colleen”. She said there are approximately 47,000 "taxable" parcels in Clallam and that 7,000 or 15% are fully exempt. She said there are another 3,000 parcels with some level of exemption (e.g. seniors/agricultural). She added there are pending proposals for more new exemptions that will likely impact future collections too.
I really wanted to know if she had data over a time series. (e.g. how many parcels went off the tax rolls each year and what was the financial impact). Unfortunately, she does not. However, she is getting more public inquiries about parcels coming off the tax rolls e.g. the tribe moving parcels to trust land, and OMC buying lots like the former Wells Fargo, as well as other non profits. She said the recent increases in property taxes (mostly due to the levies) has generated an increase in questions from the public. I assume Tozzer’s research is also partly a driver. Bottom line, 7000/47000 or 15% of taxable properties are exempt (and that number would be even higher if it included others like seniors/agricultural/forest exemptions). Pam did not have data comparing this percentage or ratio to other counties, but I suspect we are higher given the concentration of government, national park/forest, hospital, tribe, seniors, churches/non profits, and other parcels eligible for some level of exemption.
She wins the award for "Most Responsive Clallam County Elected Official" and has always taken the time to explain things to me (patiently, I might add). I wouldn't hesitate to contact her if another question arises. I feel bad that the BOCC has asked her to do more with less.
I'd be very surprised if the biggest beneficiary of property tax exemption was not private timber companies. Those savings are massive, and overall likely dwarf what tribal lands don't pay. Check out some of the multi-hundred/thousand acre parcels online sometime, and you'll see they pay a few hundred bucks annually at most.
The argument being, as I understand it - timber is taxed when logged. However, there is no requirement timber land ever be logged. Further, when it is logged - they just build this tax into the cost of the timber sale, and we the consumers pay it via the market price of lumber. They don't ever pay timber sales taxes out of pocket, they just get reduced revenue at sales time.
Further, regardless of how tax comes in from privately owned timber lands, it is near impossible for the County to plan for unlike every other form of property taxation.
My thoughts on this massive exemption are pretty simple. I've no problem with a private timber company getting this huge tax benefit at public expense, as long as they are providing a public benefit. Specifically, they should be required to open up their timber lands to public use since we are footing the bill. If they don't like that option, well...they have options. They can remove their property from the timber exemption, paying the same level of taxation as everyone else to keep their private property private.
Pam's office also overvalued our property by at least $23,000 as they determined, apparently by Google Earth or drone flights that we had a paved road leading to our property and that our house was stick-built. Neither were accurate and we received a modest reduction in overall market value on challenge. We were also over-valued because it was determined we were not affected by Carlsborg Industrial Park and the industrial marijuana operation just upwind of us...also not true.
Pam may be a wonderful person and a competent realtor but there is an onus to maximize current market property values...good luck getting your valuation reduced when the market takes an inevitable dump with all the other taxation/spending factors involved. The Commissars are not only involved with ICLEI global agendas...they are now desperate because the new administration is cutting the fat from all the grossly abusive 'freebies' given out at taxpayer cost...folks this is a classical Hegelian Dialectic situation where the powers-that-be create a problem...get a reaction (oh, horrors, we have to save the world from itself and it doesn't matter that we are plunging all future generations into unforgivable debt by borrowing all the money to 'save the world') and then provide the solution (trust us, just follow our orders, mandates, edicts, directives and generally do as we say) and everything will be fine!
Same shit...different day! Good Luck to all, and to all a good night!😴 Just go back to sleep...now isn't that a good citizen?! OBEY!
Has anyone noticed the newly appointed nazi in Canada wants to bring nukes into Canada to protect them from US?
This isn't just a DREAM, It's a NIGHT-DAY-MARE!
WAKE UP...GO TO SLEEP...WAKE UP...GO TO SLEEP...WAKE UP...GO TO SLEEP!💤🤪😊
When has our County government ever listened to us, Jeff? Remember SOS-- half the town was against the MAT Lab, but it went in anyway. I agree that doing nothing is worse, but when do we reach the point of pitchforks, tar and feathers?
Especially for long-term citizens, and residents. Thanks again, Jeff. I believe your are the switcher, who is dircting this train off the sider and onto the mainline.
I know how effective a "direct mailing" effort can be via the US Post Office, but I was just wondering if "we" who support the Clallam County Watchdog could come together to donate (pool) some money specifically for the purpose of sending mailers (even small post cards) out to folks in our community who currently have no idea what is REALLY going on that effects everyone in our community the most??? I am sure that most people in our community do not know what REALLY is going on and many of them would be motivated & willing to join the effort to make positive changes if they were properly informed and on the same page. Perhaps a mailer a couple of times or even just once a year would be productive? These criminals in our government and elsewhere always tell us what to do to defeat them if "we" are listening, because they always spend massive amounts of time & money to divide us, so we need to make every reasonable effort to better come together to defeat them and their evil underhanded agendas~! Education is always the key! Divided "we" fall... Maybe Jeff Tozzer would agree to orchestrate such a bulk mailer effort, since he has obviously proven his willingness, skill, and talent along those lines~? Sincerely, Mike. PS Sorry for "volunteering you" Jeff, but you really are the best one for the job~! ;-)
You have permission to do whatever you like to get the CC Watchdog message out. Mailers work, and every time I sent about 5,000, I noticed roughly a 5% increase in readership. You don't have to design one; Olympic Mailing already has a template that can be updated. I believe it's around 30 cents per mailer, and I already completed the first 17,000 in all of 98382 and the Carlsborg PO boxes. They need to be processed by mail route, so 500 to 700 at a time. There should be a fairly visible sign soon beside Hwy 101 east of Sequim (there might be one right now, but I haven't traveled east). I'm currently looking for someone to get a CC Watchdog tattoo on their forehead... no takers yet.
Maybe Mark Ozias and some of the other "usual suspects" would be up for big forehead tats supporting The Watchdog efforts?
Well, that would be an improvement anyway~! ;-]]
Thank you for your comment and 5% is a powerful response~! I am encouraged... What do you think about another/more direct mailing effort/s that have a very specific "public notification effort" that should/could awaken folks to one or more of the most serious current pending issues (and of course shenanigans of the local criminals in government) AND of course directing them to stay current by regularly reading The Watchdog~? I believe that there are many good folks in our community who are struggling to learn the truth about our government and the other dubious characters pushing these hidden agendas and who would also be willing to help if they were aware of options on exactly how they could get involved. We here are fighting a personal financial war along with other efforts that we are making to secure freedom for Americans and folks all over the world, but we can contribute some funds to a mailing effort. At .30 cents a mailer I am thinking that we can squeeze our budget for at least 500 mailers to start. My long-suffering wife will just have to do without her daily caviar~! Ha! Just kidding ;-) Anyway, I am not really personally interested in handling the funds, but maybe you would agree to do that? I am a fan of your written communication skills, and I believe you more capable of writing the information on the mailers that would "dovetail" well into The Watchdog's ongoing efforts... There are a couple of people in our community that I would feel comfortable in telling them of such an effort & encourage them to donate and I could pass along the donation information as I spread the joy that is me all over the local area... Your thoughts? Sincerely, Mike
Closing in on no mineral farming and a food supply chain grown in chemicals that weaken immune systems. No til does not break the pest cycle and needs increased pesticide use.
Tilling a field that has sediment from river flooding is the healthiest way to farm. Always has been always will.
Back in my timber days after a timber harvesting permit was granted from wa state DNR, the timber was sold the timber owner would pay DNR 5% of the net income from timber harvested.This was a planned income for the public schools many years ago.
I think the public here in clallam county should be aware of the amount of acreage and $$$ amount that jamestown tribe is having taken off the tax roll by applying for tax relief exemptions.
White man bought out the Indians many years ago. With gold and silver and some times with pretty little multi colored beads. Now the Indians are buying it back. With our own money and at the casinos. With old farts, mesmerized. Sitting in front of those machines with the multi colored flashing lights. Social security checks hanging from their neck with a lanyard. But truth be told. If you took away the money. And put the white man down (as seems to be poular these days). America would be no more. Just like South Africa.
I'm far from a tax expert, but my experience with the Open Space program had it giving us nearly zero benefit the one time we used it.
Perhaps it's of more value when a parcel stays undeveloped and is all in an Open Space designation. However, a common way of using it historically was to put all but a small, typically one acre portion of a parcel in Open Space. This allowed development of a home while keeping the majority of the property in the lower taxed, Open Space designation.
We did the above on a five acre parcel, and it worked well for a few years. Then - our tax bill shot up drastically one year, out of proportion from our neighbors. When I investigated it with the Assessor, it was pointed out that the portion in Open Space did not go up - but they drastically increased the value on the developed portion only, far in excess of what a one acre developed parcel would be value at. The claim being, that our residence still benefitted from the majority of the parcel designated Open Space, so they were going to assess that one acre portion as if it was larger - including the Open Space portion.
Yep, you read that right. Our one acre portion that was developed was now assessed the same as a five acre parcel, and we had the majority of our land locked up in Open Space designation. I then asked what the benefit to us was of an Open Space designation in a situation like ours, and received no explanation.
You should sued for fairness and legal costs. Is it too late?
The whole reason for you to put the rest in open space was for open space. Since they taxed it more, it seems to me that you could then legally withdraw it from open space, subdivide it, and develop it.
They were gifted massive amounts of land by Voice of America off of Kitchen Dick, on the premise it be kept for hunting use. They sold off bits and pieces and lost 3/4 of preserved duck and game hunting land for non-natives. They just want us to play hide and seek for a grand a week working for a global non-profit, hike around, bike around in all these open spaces and call Amazon to being us everything we need from 6-12000 miles away.
Perhaps the most publicized result of removal of properties from taxation is the transfer of that obligation to the rest of us. Annual excess property taxes. State owns 51%, tribes own ?% and growing, of land, all without tax obligation. Looks like changes highlighted here will exempt non-profits. (I could be misinterpreting) Who remains to carry the ever increasing burden? I hope we're all letting Olympia know we don't approve of on annual 3% cap property tax increase. That's 3% to all taxing districts, like parks district, city, county, ALL TAXING DISTRICTS. That's 3% compounded by the number of all taxing districts.
The other one tune that gets stuck in my head, is " Bridge over the River Kwai" If I hear anyone whistling I immediately hear that, and spend days getting it out of my head. Sorry, I guess I replaced one for another. Dodut. do do did dit dit do.....
I cannot begin to understand the legal nuances of The Jamestown Trust, but I do understand when they take land off the tax roles my/our taxes go up. The tribe now has the money to buy the best legal advice available and they are. I encourage all area residents to seek and find representatives that represent non-tribal interests. The tribe is not only buying the best legal council; they are buying your / our political representatives. Get smart and vote for representatives that represent you.
I applaud your wish to get this meeting out to the public. There are event sites around the peninsula on Facebook that would be a good place to post this announcement.
For what it's worth I am a tree planter, tree farm owner and manager. My family owns a 50-acre tree farm in Clallam County most of which was bought in the 1960s. We built a one-car sized garage there to give us a place to get out of the weather when we work on the trees. It has no running water or electricity so in that sense it is an out building. When we built this building one acre was taken off the timber tax rolls even though we planted trees within 20 feet on all side of the building. That one acre is listed separately from the rest of the tree farm parcels. On these 50 acres we pay about $230 a year in county taxes, including the one acre with the building.
Because our land is a certified tree farm we are inspected every 5 years to confirm that we are managing the land for timber. We just completed a 12 acre harvest of trees we planted 40 years ago and we made ZERO profit. These trees were part of a 25 acre project that we worked on for over 40 years to reforest a pasture. If you have ever planted in pasture grass you know how difficult such a job would be. But we succeeded in reforesting that pasture which created a valuable wildlife corridor connecting adjacent state and national forest lands. The trees were deformed when young by an unusual snow which caused a twist in about 50% of the logs just below the necessary length to be mill grade. But we provided a full-time job for two loggers for several months and provided timber to local mills. The logs that didn't go to the mill were processed by a local firewood producer so that provided even more jobs. We are happy with that and as we plant this new crop of trees on those open areas we are making changes that we hope will better protect these young trees from heavy snows. The next generations will benefit from these plantings.
As far as profits go in timber it's no cake walk. We worked over a 30 year period on our other 25 acres of 2nd growth forest. These trees were about 50 years old. First we thinned the forest - twice. Then we waited 30 years to harvest the trees. As part of the harvest we not only paid the loggers, the truckers and WA state taxes, but we also had to pay capital gains tax to the federal government. This stand of trees was top grade with about 16 rings per inch so we got top dollar for the quality. With all this said we walked away with $80,000 - enough to pay off the rest of our house mortgage. These trees were about 80 years old at the time of harvest so essentially they accumulated $1000 a year in profit value over 80 years. I hope these facts help you understand how crazy we tree farmers really are. It's in the blood. We love trees and love to plant and care for trees. We love improving habitat for wildlife and our property is also a draw for our neighbors to take strolls in the woods and commune with nature. So the value of forests goes beyond just simple finances.
We all know that many civilizations perish when they "cut the last tree." It is important that we protect our forest lands for humans, wildlife, water, air, spirit, etc. All this is my long-winded way of saying that it is important that we retain the special tax status for our local forest lands.
Note: I forgot to mention that after the harvest of the 25 acres of older trees we replanted about 9000 trees on that land. Those trees are now about 15 feet tall and I'm getting ready to thin them out by hand with a battery operated chainsaw. It's a good way to stay in shape - haha!
This is why I love comments! Who knew? So much expertise and diverse experiences in this community that contribute. Thank you, Pamela.
Thank you Pamela, very eye opening and educational.
Please speak with Pam Rushton, the county tax assessor. She is very professional and was generous with her time when I had multiple follow up questions to her recent presentation on “Coffee with Colleen”. She said there are approximately 47,000 "taxable" parcels in Clallam and that 7,000 or 15% are fully exempt. She said there are another 3,000 parcels with some level of exemption (e.g. seniors/agricultural). She added there are pending proposals for more new exemptions that will likely impact future collections too.
I really wanted to know if she had data over a time series. (e.g. how many parcels went off the tax rolls each year and what was the financial impact). Unfortunately, she does not. However, she is getting more public inquiries about parcels coming off the tax rolls e.g. the tribe moving parcels to trust land, and OMC buying lots like the former Wells Fargo, as well as other non profits. She said the recent increases in property taxes (mostly due to the levies) has generated an increase in questions from the public. I assume Tozzer’s research is also partly a driver. Bottom line, 7000/47000 or 15% of taxable properties are exempt (and that number would be even higher if it included others like seniors/agricultural/forest exemptions). Pam did not have data comparing this percentage or ratio to other counties, but I suspect we are higher given the concentration of government, national park/forest, hospital, tribe, seniors, churches/non profits, and other parcels eligible for some level of exemption.
She wins the award for "Most Responsive Clallam County Elected Official" and has always taken the time to explain things to me (patiently, I might add). I wouldn't hesitate to contact her if another question arises. I feel bad that the BOCC has asked her to do more with less.
I'd be very surprised if the biggest beneficiary of property tax exemption was not private timber companies. Those savings are massive, and overall likely dwarf what tribal lands don't pay. Check out some of the multi-hundred/thousand acre parcels online sometime, and you'll see they pay a few hundred bucks annually at most.
The argument being, as I understand it - timber is taxed when logged. However, there is no requirement timber land ever be logged. Further, when it is logged - they just build this tax into the cost of the timber sale, and we the consumers pay it via the market price of lumber. They don't ever pay timber sales taxes out of pocket, they just get reduced revenue at sales time.
Further, regardless of how tax comes in from privately owned timber lands, it is near impossible for the County to plan for unlike every other form of property taxation.
My thoughts on this massive exemption are pretty simple. I've no problem with a private timber company getting this huge tax benefit at public expense, as long as they are providing a public benefit. Specifically, they should be required to open up their timber lands to public use since we are footing the bill. If they don't like that option, well...they have options. They can remove their property from the timber exemption, paying the same level of taxation as everyone else to keep their private property private.
Accurate reporting. Thanks, Will.
I recently found that out as well about the minuscule taxes paid by the mega-corps.
That's how the system is designed.
Pam's office also overvalued our property by at least $23,000 as they determined, apparently by Google Earth or drone flights that we had a paved road leading to our property and that our house was stick-built. Neither were accurate and we received a modest reduction in overall market value on challenge. We were also over-valued because it was determined we were not affected by Carlsborg Industrial Park and the industrial marijuana operation just upwind of us...also not true.
Pam may be a wonderful person and a competent realtor but there is an onus to maximize current market property values...good luck getting your valuation reduced when the market takes an inevitable dump with all the other taxation/spending factors involved. The Commissars are not only involved with ICLEI global agendas...they are now desperate because the new administration is cutting the fat from all the grossly abusive 'freebies' given out at taxpayer cost...folks this is a classical Hegelian Dialectic situation where the powers-that-be create a problem...get a reaction (oh, horrors, we have to save the world from itself and it doesn't matter that we are plunging all future generations into unforgivable debt by borrowing all the money to 'save the world') and then provide the solution (trust us, just follow our orders, mandates, edicts, directives and generally do as we say) and everything will be fine!
Same shit...different day! Good Luck to all, and to all a good night!😴 Just go back to sleep...now isn't that a good citizen?! OBEY!
Has anyone noticed the newly appointed nazi in Canada wants to bring nukes into Canada to protect them from US?
This isn't just a DREAM, It's a NIGHT-DAY-MARE!
WAKE UP...GO TO SLEEP...WAKE UP...GO TO SLEEP...WAKE UP...GO TO SLEEP!💤🤪😊
Wow Steven, thank you for this research!
Besides the number of parcels, it would be interesting to know their acreage....
The tribe acknowledged in the newsletter that they have over a million acres In clallam and Jefferson counties
Empire in decline...this is what it looks like.😊
New Zoom Link https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83692664344
Hi Jeff, hope it is okay to spread the word here.
Clallam County Commissioners WORK Session Mon, March 17th, 9am
In person or Zoom
https://clallamcowa.portal.civicclerk.com/event/157/files/agenda/3545
Clallam County Commissioners REGULAR Meeting Tues, March 18th, 10am
https://clallamcowa.portal.civicclerk.com/event/211/files/agenda/3554
Zoom(either meeting): https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83692664344 ID: 836 9266 4344 passcode: 12345
Audio Only: 253-215-8782 *9 to raise your hand
Public comment Clerk of the Board loni.gores@clallamcountywa.gov or 360-417-2256
Spread it loud and proud! These meetings have much more effect over our daily lives than things happening in Olympia and Washington DC.
When has our County government ever listened to us, Jeff? Remember SOS-- half the town was against the MAT Lab, but it went in anyway. I agree that doing nothing is worse, but when do we reach the point of pitchforks, tar and feathers?
Maybe it'll have to come to that..
Especially for long-term citizens, and residents. Thanks again, Jeff. I believe your are the switcher, who is dircting this train off the sider and onto the mainline.
Thanks.
Thank you Diane!
Just an idea for the good folks here~!
I know how effective a "direct mailing" effort can be via the US Post Office, but I was just wondering if "we" who support the Clallam County Watchdog could come together to donate (pool) some money specifically for the purpose of sending mailers (even small post cards) out to folks in our community who currently have no idea what is REALLY going on that effects everyone in our community the most??? I am sure that most people in our community do not know what REALLY is going on and many of them would be motivated & willing to join the effort to make positive changes if they were properly informed and on the same page. Perhaps a mailer a couple of times or even just once a year would be productive? These criminals in our government and elsewhere always tell us what to do to defeat them if "we" are listening, because they always spend massive amounts of time & money to divide us, so we need to make every reasonable effort to better come together to defeat them and their evil underhanded agendas~! Education is always the key! Divided "we" fall... Maybe Jeff Tozzer would agree to orchestrate such a bulk mailer effort, since he has obviously proven his willingness, skill, and talent along those lines~? Sincerely, Mike. PS Sorry for "volunteering you" Jeff, but you really are the best one for the job~! ;-)
You have permission to do whatever you like to get the CC Watchdog message out. Mailers work, and every time I sent about 5,000, I noticed roughly a 5% increase in readership. You don't have to design one; Olympic Mailing already has a template that can be updated. I believe it's around 30 cents per mailer, and I already completed the first 17,000 in all of 98382 and the Carlsborg PO boxes. They need to be processed by mail route, so 500 to 700 at a time. There should be a fairly visible sign soon beside Hwy 101 east of Sequim (there might be one right now, but I haven't traveled east). I'm currently looking for someone to get a CC Watchdog tattoo on their forehead... no takers yet.
HA! HA! HA! HA!
A tattoo on someone's forehead? Very funny~!
Maybe Mark Ozias and some of the other "usual suspects" would be up for big forehead tats supporting The Watchdog efforts?
Well, that would be an improvement anyway~! ;-]]
Thank you for your comment and 5% is a powerful response~! I am encouraged... What do you think about another/more direct mailing effort/s that have a very specific "public notification effort" that should/could awaken folks to one or more of the most serious current pending issues (and of course shenanigans of the local criminals in government) AND of course directing them to stay current by regularly reading The Watchdog~? I believe that there are many good folks in our community who are struggling to learn the truth about our government and the other dubious characters pushing these hidden agendas and who would also be willing to help if they were aware of options on exactly how they could get involved. We here are fighting a personal financial war along with other efforts that we are making to secure freedom for Americans and folks all over the world, but we can contribute some funds to a mailing effort. At .30 cents a mailer I am thinking that we can squeeze our budget for at least 500 mailers to start. My long-suffering wife will just have to do without her daily caviar~! Ha! Just kidding ;-) Anyway, I am not really personally interested in handling the funds, but maybe you would agree to do that? I am a fan of your written communication skills, and I believe you more capable of writing the information on the mailers that would "dovetail" well into The Watchdog's ongoing efforts... There are a couple of people in our community that I would feel comfortable in telling them of such an effort & encourage them to donate and I could pass along the donation information as I spread the joy that is me all over the local area... Your thoughts? Sincerely, Mike
I will donate more, too, Jeff. Let me know if you will be sending out more mailers.
I would really like to know the motive behind these "rule changes". Can WE change the rules as we want and just notify them of a citizens' meeting?
I pledge $100. Good idea. Worth a try.😊
Closing in on no mineral farming and a food supply chain grown in chemicals that weaken immune systems. No til does not break the pest cycle and needs increased pesticide use.
Tilling a field that has sediment from river flooding is the healthiest way to farm. Always has been always will.
Nature will till us all into dust or mud eventually.
Disaster by nature or disaster by design.
This planet is not a 'safe space' to occupy.
Never has been.
Probably never will be.😊
Back in my timber days after a timber harvesting permit was granted from wa state DNR, the timber was sold the timber owner would pay DNR 5% of the net income from timber harvested.This was a planned income for the public schools many years ago.
That's not much for the level of profit they reap every 60-80 years.
Guess they never consulted us on how to handle the tax situation.😱
I think the public here in clallam county should be aware of the amount of acreage and $$$ amount that jamestown tribe is having taken off the tax roll by applying for tax relief exemptions.
White man bought out the Indians many years ago. With gold and silver and some times with pretty little multi colored beads. Now the Indians are buying it back. With our own money and at the casinos. With old farts, mesmerized. Sitting in front of those machines with the multi colored flashing lights. Social security checks hanging from their neck with a lanyard. But truth be told. If you took away the money. And put the white man down (as seems to be poular these days). America would be no more. Just like South Africa.
Not to mention the billions collectively laundered through the casino mob.
How do you think they are 'affording' all this.
It isn't from a couple thousand people losing their money to a scam every day.🤔
Yes there's that. And all sanctioned by the government mob.
Guess how much they give to the Democratic Party? How else were they allowed to stay open during the most dangerous pandemic in history
I'm far from a tax expert, but my experience with the Open Space program had it giving us nearly zero benefit the one time we used it.
Perhaps it's of more value when a parcel stays undeveloped and is all in an Open Space designation. However, a common way of using it historically was to put all but a small, typically one acre portion of a parcel in Open Space. This allowed development of a home while keeping the majority of the property in the lower taxed, Open Space designation.
We did the above on a five acre parcel, and it worked well for a few years. Then - our tax bill shot up drastically one year, out of proportion from our neighbors. When I investigated it with the Assessor, it was pointed out that the portion in Open Space did not go up - but they drastically increased the value on the developed portion only, far in excess of what a one acre developed parcel would be value at. The claim being, that our residence still benefitted from the majority of the parcel designated Open Space, so they were going to assess that one acre portion as if it was larger - including the Open Space portion.
Yep, you read that right. Our one acre portion that was developed was now assessed the same as a five acre parcel, and we had the majority of our land locked up in Open Space designation. I then asked what the benefit to us was of an Open Space designation in a situation like ours, and received no explanation.
Wow. Surprised but not surprised.
You should sued for fairness and legal costs. Is it too late?
The whole reason for you to put the rest in open space was for open space. Since they taxed it more, it seems to me that you could then legally withdraw it from open space, subdivide it, and develop it.
She looks familiar
They were gifted massive amounts of land by Voice of America off of Kitchen Dick, on the premise it be kept for hunting use. They sold off bits and pieces and lost 3/4 of preserved duck and game hunting land for non-natives. They just want us to play hide and seek for a grand a week working for a global non-profit, hike around, bike around in all these open spaces and call Amazon to being us everything we need from 6-12000 miles away.
Oh you can conserve farmland ...but there won't be any water....hence your inclination to convert to open spaces..
Another eye opener and love this beautiful photo!
Perhaps the most publicized result of removal of properties from taxation is the transfer of that obligation to the rest of us. Annual excess property taxes. State owns 51%, tribes own ?% and growing, of land, all without tax obligation. Looks like changes highlighted here will exempt non-profits. (I could be misinterpreting) Who remains to carry the ever increasing burden? I hope we're all letting Olympia know we don't approve of on annual 3% cap property tax increase. That's 3% to all taxing districts, like parks district, city, county, ALL TAXING DISTRICTS. That's 3% compounded by the number of all taxing districts.
Green Acres is the place to be
Farm livin' is the life for me
Land spreadin' out so far and wide
JUST GIVE US THAT COUNTYSIDE!
You're dating yourself!
Is dating yourself incest?🤣
Oh no. Now I have the song stuck in my mind.
The only way out is to substitute another one and it still takes effort and you still have a song stuck in your head.
The mind is a terrible thing...waste it!🤪
Cheers!
Me too! Make it stop.
The other one tune that gets stuck in my head, is " Bridge over the River Kwai" If I hear anyone whistling I immediately hear that, and spend days getting it out of my head. Sorry, I guess I replaced one for another. Dodut. do do did dit dit do.....