In Response
Dear Editor: This letter is in response to ‘‘City Rejects Appeal in Value of Slide-Hit Lot.’’
Voting in favor of rejecting the appeal were Matthew Hunter, Tristan Guevin, Ben Miyasato and Mayor Mim McConnell, who all followed the lead of City Assessor Wendy Lawrence. Lawrence justified a 50 percent reduction in the assessed value of the property based upon:
1. a lack of hard evidence (written or factual) from the property owner (no criteria for what constituted hard evidence was offered). Common sense alone would lead to concluding that being destroyed by a landslide would be as hard and as factual as evidence can get. This property has zero market or use value. It is a dangerous liability, not an asset. Even the dimmest among us knows this.
2. “assessment” was equal to other properties affected by the landslide” (making the same mistake multiple times somehow makes it right),
3. and the Sitka General Code would not allow a reduction of more than 50 percent (change the code).
4. the “calculations were accurate and used best practices and best information available” (the same as were used to approve the plans for the landslide subdivision in the first place and where three Sitkans died).
Note: A martinet is any person who believes strict adherence to rules is paramount. Martinets often use rules as an excuse to trump ethics and common sense to the point that the rules lose their ethical and rational foundation.
I suggest that those who are responsible for this absurd decision (elected, appointed and hired) participate in an auction and purchase this property themselves. The bids start at $52,700. Do I hear a bid?
Finally, the April 26, 2016, issue of the Sentinel headline stated: ‘‘Plan to Update Value of Tax Base Approved.’’ I shudder to think that the same bureaucratic martinets that made the above ridiculous assessment decision will still be in a position to apply their ideas of “best practices and best information” to this tax base update (if they can’t scare us us into raising the property tax cap they will just raise our assessment values). I know how we can get rid of our elected officials. In the meantime, we’re stuck with the administrators and staff responsible for this mess. Citizens, put a zipper on your pocket and vote NO.
Dr. Ronald E. Dick, Sitka
