Transparency looks like a city mirage

Just received a survey from Mayor Tim Kelly asking if I want transparency in a new police chief, but I am feeling a lack of transparency in the recent tax increase passed by our city council. Having now received my property tax bill for 2021, I see that the new rate as well as the reappraisal applies to the entire year and not just that period since the new rate went into effect. I guess I am supposed to know that, but I don’t remember any council member or the mayor reminding me that I would be paying the new higher rate on the time period prior to the increase being voted on.

So for those paying their taxes into an escrow account, they didn’t pay enough. For people who bought a house in 2021, they are now going to pay the tax increase on that time period when they didn’t even own the house. It is clear that the rate increase was approved before Oct. 1 so the new rate would apply to the entire year. That is transparent to me.

George Patten

Hixson