I knew it was only a matter of time before I saw a story about this. Orlando Sentinel front page article.

I have mentioned several times recently that the local governments would be stinging with the pain come the Fall of 2008 when assessed values start dropping down to the levels they were a few years ago.  This in turn will force revenues from property taxes to decrease.  So what's the big deal?? These are the same values that they were back in 2004 or so and the government was doing just fine then. 

The problem is that the local governments have been on a crazy spending spree for about 5 straight years now.  Kind of reminds me of a teenager going to the mall with their dad's credit card.  Well unfortunately, the local governments are learning that they don't have a blank checkbook and their auditors (the taxpayers) are getting sick and tired of wasteful spending.

Just some examples of the out of control spending for the skeptics among us:

Seminole County school district - more wasted tax dollars

Local government's facing giant budget cuts - or are the budgets just going back to what they were before the boom?

County and city leaders abusing Florida's retirement program

Hey Florida, where did all that surplus tax money go? 

Please do not allow these local governments to get away with raising your taxes. Enough is enough. It is an election year. If they start crying the blues, tell them to get a job in the private sector by voting them out of office.

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(Copyright © 2008. Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rob Arnold, ABR, CPL, CRB, GRI, Managing real estate broker, Licensed mortgage broker, Notary Public

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318    www.SDRhouses.com/   www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com/

Your full service and investor friendly Realtor in Orlando. Learn to invest in Central Florida real estate and Orlando real estate including foreclosure and short sale opportunities. Investor mentoring and counseling available. I also provide flat fee MLS listings, For Sale By Owner, and menu-based services in most parts of Central & South Florida, the Space Coast, and the Treasure Coast including Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, Ocoee, Winter Garden, Apopka, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Longwood, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Lake Mary, Sanford, Deltona, Debary, Deland, Mount Dora, Eustis, Clermont, Kissimmee, Winter Haven, Lakeland, Tampa, Sarasota, Bradenton, Miami-Dade, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Port Saint Lucie, Melbourne, Daytona Beach, Ocala, Gainesville, Volusia, Brevard, and more.

We sell properties, list properties, and we buy houses cash throughout Central Florida and the metro Orlando area.