South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

Crestwood man wonders when senior citizens will get some tax relief

Question: What do Charlie Dooley, John Campisi, Harry Kennedy and Jim Avery all have in common?

Answer: They’ve all been re-elected.

This despite numerous pleas resulting in political promises of relief from the infamous “drive-by assessments.” What prompts me to write this letter on the very day after receiving my new tax assessment?

The assessed valuation of my 40-plus-year-old home has gone up $25,000 a year for the past two years, for a grand total of $50,000. Yes, folks, that’s right, fifty grand.

Of course, I have the option of appearing before the board and appealing this amount, but previous appearances have shown that you have to have some documentation, which, of course, I don’t have.

Why would I have my house appraised over the past two years?

And then there’s the deal of comparing sold houses. In my case, one of them is about two nautical miles from here in a much more affluent neighborhood. My home abuts to the rear of a guy who runs a full-time business out of his two-story “garage” and he’s next door to a guy who sells cars off his front lawn. Hardly affluent.

It appears from those I’ve talked to that this is the norm and not an isolated case.

When are these guys going to do what they say they’re going to do and give some relief to us senior citizens?

William J. Finnegan

Crestwood

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