In 2006, I was only a wealthy man.

Now according to the 2007 property tax assessment, I am a rich man worthy of being called a millionaire.

My modest Ewa Beach home was assessed by the city in 2006 at $673,000, but according to the 2007 assessment I received in the mail this Saturday, my property jumped nearly 60 percent to $1,066,000 in just a matter of months. Either the property assessors have been soundly asleep over the past several years and woke up long enough to see that my property was undervalued, or they are incredibly incompetent and should be fired.

My analysis is Mayor Hannemann has whispered to his property assessors that he needs more money in order to comply with his “Do we need it? Can we afford it? Can we maintain it?” mantra that he used in the 2005 elections, which enticed many voters into supporting him because they believed he was a fiscal conservative – or at least a fiscal moderate.

With ever increasing property values and therefore property taxes, I want to ask the mayor,” Can we afford this increase?”

There are many retirees like me who are barely hanging on to our home. Our retirement pension didn’t go up with the 23 percent property tax increase in 2006 and our retirement pension didn’t go up with the 60 percent property tax increase in 2007.

And what have we received for our money?

Have we seen an increase in city services? I don’t think so. I receive the same police, fire, garbage that I did before but now I am paying 83 percent more for the same services. The sewers haven’t been fixed and still spill every time there is a heavy rain. The potholes are still there – they haven’t been filled or at least they haven’t remained filled.

Based on this track record, I guess I should be asking myself about the mayor before the next election: “Do we need him? Can we afford him? Can we maintain him?” I say no.

See related story: "City Mails Out Property Assessment Notices for 2007"

Garry Smith can be reached via email at mailto:garrypsmith@juno.com

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