Norfolk council says city is losing millions in commercial taxes

By having the assessed value at say 80% it allows for a slow down in the market, like what is happening now. Also, if every property was assessed at 100% of the market value, you would everyone complaining and asking for a reassessment adding to the workload of the understaffed assessors office. It is nice to see they hired a "local" company to investigate. I mean Phoenix is just a quick 4 hour flight from here. I am sure members of city council had to spend a week or two out there to meet with the consultants.

Did you ever hear the joke about Norfolk not allowing home businesses? For years they forced small business out of their homes to increase commercial rentals.

Business owners are saving millions to spur the flailing economy. That this council sees this as a bad thing shows that they think the money would be better used for more government programs, money to parents for children's grades, building projects and paid vacation time for the manager than to stay with the businesses that pay our salaries and spur our economy.

Home owners overpaying?

Raise commercial property until they are overpaying too.

One day maybe we can bring back "For the people and by the people" because it's always been for the "government and by the government"
How long will we take it?

this spring where the primary focus was on underassessed commercial real estate? Why pay attention to the lowly citizenry when a high-priced consultant is available?

I guess this move confirms what has been suspected all along - that property tax revenue emphasis is heavily weighted on the residental side.

Everyone please light a candle for me on July 1, when I go before the assessment review board. I had an independent appraisal done, and the reassessment came in above that value. I'll also be requesting retroactive tax relief since the original assessment didn't change from last year.

The Town Point Center at 150 Boush has been shamelessly underassessed for years now... assessment has even been decreased a few times. May as well start the reassessment there, at the law offices of Fraim and Fiorella.

The problem is that many of these buildings are difficult to keep from a financial standpoint. Now the city will get more money, but the building owner will charge more and that will result in even more vacancies.

I hope they use the consultants as shields when my army walks across the Harbour.

2 cities balanced on a precarious knife edge by politicians who steal HUD money, gather in back rooms to solidify development and line there own pockets! I guess it will all come to fruition when the riots start won't it! These two "cities" have been derailed towards becoming the penultimate 3rd world urban cesspools!

We keep hearing of blatant unethical and immoral activity in Norfolk by their leaders. People of Norfolk, you have no one to blame but yourselves for voting these corrupt individuals into office time and time again.

Then again, I don't expect the people that vote these morally decrepit people into office could read this article, much less my post...

The city of Norfolk has a lot of comerical properties..Down town alone..I mean come on!!!30% UNDERASSESSED REAL ESTATE TAXES NOT COLLECTED...THATS a lot of money people..Blaming it on being understaff is just an excuse..Your not understaff to keep raising my homes real estate value up at least 200% over the last 10 years..I could live off the money you did not collect..Hell me and thirty of my frends could have...HAY GREAT JOB NORFOLK CITY REAL ESTATE ASSESSORS KEEP IT UP :/

What ever $$ increases the city hopes to collect will be absorbed by the new hires and expenses suggested by this arizona mouth piece. I and many commercial establishments are against the wall at is is with this new economy andfor the city to levy more %%%$$$ on us is dumb. We have no alternative but to re-locate to the beach where they have recently recinded the business taxes, or we can relocate to p-town and recieve enpowerment funds/grants to re-establish our barely surviving Norfolk business. It's a wonder the city council isn't taxing N.C. for importing all the smoke into dwntwn Norfolk! Where's the smoke monitor when you need one?

...do you mean to say that I've had the wool pulled over my eyes all this time? Tax incentives and deferments to all the commercial developments downtown...aren't we talking millions here? And to think that had this nipped in the bud by paying taxes on our over assessed and over taxed personal property! Now I feel bad...and compeled to insist that the city raise my PP tax once again to address this "newest revelation"...and please..if you will...reassess my little cape cod for double it's current value....the guilt is killing me!...oh BTW...did we pay thousands for this consultant??? I could have told you all of this for a large pizza...and a six pack.

We are being taxed to DEATH in America. Between supporting the welfare state and illegal aliens, we can't afford to support bigger city government. They spend money like drunken fools and keep raising taxes to pay for their mistakes and profligate behavior. Vote these idiots out of office!!!!!11

"One would like to hope that maybe raising commercial taxes to an appropriate rate might price out some of the predatory lenders, pawn shops, discounted merchandise and dollar stores, and the endless sea of bar/restaurants to allow more established retail with deeper pockets to finally emerge."

Personally I think there is a need for all of them, especially with the economy as it is. The City will not allow any more thrift stores and according to Randy Wright "they are nothing but glorified thrift stores".
That alone should tell you that Wright doesn't have a clue what he's talking about. Thrift stores are busier then most shopes in Norfolk.

One would like to hope that maybe raising commercial taxes to an appropriate rate might price out some of the predatory lenders, pawn shops, discounted merchandise and dollar stores, and the endless sea of bar/restaurants to allow more established retail with deeper pockets to finally emerge.

"It's unfortunate we've lost the revenue we could have gotten the last few years from commercial real estate," Councilman W. Randy Wright said. "The good thing is that we're fixing the problem."

Fixing the problem should be stop spending on over-building project. The city of Norfolk has long thought we are all idiots.

These people must be drug tested at once they really think we are stupid. We can see your plan a mile away. Raises taxes and increase the size of govt at the same time. Vote the hacks OUT Geeze!!!

Nothing but a slight of hand by city council. Yes, a consultant will tell you exactly what you want to hear. Raising city assessments on business taxes will achieve three goals: (1) Force business owners to reduce payroll, (2) Pass on the cost to consumers, or (3) Reduce hiring.
All three choices make the homeowner suffer. The best way for council to balance the budget is to cut spending.

How will companies budget a sudden 30% increase in their taxes? Usually the only place with that much flexibility is cutting the payroll.

"To fix the problem, the city needs to hire more assessors and provide better technology, the consultant said. City officials said that is already being done".

Sounds like a "good ole boy" deal is brewing.

A consultant will tell you exactly what you want to hear.

Didn't take long to pull the article about the bonds for the senators hotel in Portsmouth did it? Free press???

Meanwhile, Norfolk continues its money drunk ways of trying to pay for its turn at playing developer at the expense of taxpayers. yawn

It will be interesting to see how the politicians handle this situation. First, they'll act like they had no idea this was the case. But now that it has been reported, they'll have to really scurry and double talk as they figure out how to avoid making they big-money contributors pay their fair share of Norfolk's tax burden - as if that will ever happen.