To the editor:

I was surprised when I opened my personal property tax valuation notice recently. For as long as I can remember this annual event has been a semipleasant experience. As vehicles, boats, trailers and other personal items get older, the tax valuation traditionally has gone down, and it becomes less and less painful to reach into our wallets and expend the requested annual taxes.

I was expecting a small reduction on my taxes as the boat had definitely been depreciating over the long hard winter. Much to my surprise, the county seemed to think my boat had indeed increased in value.

My boat is a well used fishing boat like the type you see being dragged to the nearest fishing hole every weekend. I decided to go the www.nada.com where I could look up my boat, motor and trailer values. I am not surprised to see that my boat is not worth what the county is appraising it at. In fact it’s worth much less.

If you disagree with the value assessed on your personal property you have the right to appeal it. Explain to the assessor’s office that you’ve looked up the value of your property on NADA and its value is less than the assessed value and you’d like to have your taxes adjusted.

It is a shame that in hard times and tight budgets that cities are trying to make a cash grab at things we all realize don’t increase in value.