January 14, 2024
Friday’s BOC meeting had a lot of discussion on Green Space and why it is not being taxed. Green space sounds good and we all want green space. However, when acreage is designated as green or common space the acreage is virtually removed from the tax digest. This means all property owners of non-green space will pay more in property taxes to operate the county government as more and more acreage is exempt.
Lynn Bentley, chief assessor, spoke to the BOC and she has told us and others previously that green space isn’t taxed because it can’t be sold and therefore has no value. She was accompanied by Londa Champion, BOA chairperson.
Homeowners and property owners associations were also discussed. A court case in 2002 was about Turtle Cove, its covenants, and the claim that the common property had no taxable value because it was encumbered by the covenants. The appeals case we have been given was about the covenants and if they were in effect or not. The appeals court ruled they were. Since that case, none of the 665 acres of green space or the corresponding buildings and amenities have been taxed.
The $1 value placed on green space, also includes the golf course, restaurant/bar/lounge/clubhouse, swimming pool, and tennis courts at Turtle Cove. All of these items have a $1 value on the tax books.
The green space question is NOT about Turtle Cove. Turtle Cove is just an excellent example of how green space taxations benefits a few while excluding the majority the residents in Jasper County. All new subdivisions in Jasper County are required to have 40% green space; thereby allowing smaller lots of 1.2 acres. The developer can put the worse part of the land in green space, build on smaller lots, and go his merry way. All property owners and taxpayers indirectly pick up the taxes not being assessed on green space. Non-residents of these subdivision are not allowed to use the green space or have any input in how the green space is maintained or preserved.
To protect current and future property owners of Jasper County, the BOC needs to take decisive action while keeping as much acreage as possible on the tax digest. Requiring 3 acre minimum deeded lots in any new subdivision solves the problem. If 3 acre lots are required, with required buffers around the subdivision, and the current lot set backs, there would be plenty of green space in new subdivisions AND all property would be taxed.
There will be a BOC meeting, Friday, January 26 at 9:30am to discuss LOT SIZE and HOUSE SIZE. Make plans to attend now.
Citizens, be informed and stay informed! Only by being informed, can the citizens understand what is being done and talked about, and then press our officials to make good decisions for everyone in Jasper County.
TWG
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Taxpayer's Watchdog Group 
Doesn’t greenspace in a neighborhood increase the overall value of the homes that are found in that neighborhood? Has anyone done a study to see if the increase in value of the home offsets the loss of taxing the greenspace? This isn’t official, but a quick Google says theres an average of 7% increase in home values in neighborhoods where greenspace is found. Seems to me that home values in Turtle Cove wouldn’t be as high as they are without the surrounding ammenities. For comparison, I found a random house in the county, on 5 acres (mine is 1/2), with 600 more sq ft than mine, and their value was $268. Mine is $244k. So, why is my home value only $24k less than theirs (when land values alone are $8k/acre right now)? Must be greenspace and ammenities. Another house that was more comparable is newer construction, on .7 acres, with 300 more sq ft and a garage, and is worth $237k. Why is my smaller house on a smaller lot worth 3% more? Must be the greenspace and ammenities. The taxes will be collected one way or another, whether you increase lot sizes, or have an increase in property value because of greenspace. Besides, doesn’t greenspace helps to maintain some of that “country” feel that everyone down here likes so much. At least that land will have a certain look and feel to it. What happens when you make the homeowner responsible for all 3 acres and they do what they want with it? What if he doesn’t maintain it and it becomes overgrown and unsightly, OR, he cuts every tree and plants nothing but grass? Or, maybe they put 10 outbuildings on it. This seems like such a non-issue to me. Y’all just trying to stir folks up, and tax everyone and everything into oblivion.
And the line “the commissioners need to keep as much for future” etc, to me means the commissioners need to stop building this bloated county government-seems they are trying to keep up with the D.C. swamp on a smaller scale.