That is precisely what is happening now in counties all over Virginia. And that is precisely why we have formed VOTORS, or Virginians Over-Taxed On Residences. The goal of VOTORS is to achieve a Virginia Constitutional Amendment that provides limits on real property tax assessment increases and real property tax rates. The new Constitutional Amendment would change Virginia's "Current Market Value" property tax system to one based on "Acquisition- Value", similar to California's 1978 Proposition 13.

VOTORS has been working steadily toward our goal and has succeeded in getting a bill introduced by Del. Jeff Frederick (R-52) that will bring needed real property tax relief to the Commonwealth. House Joint Resolution No. 19 (HJ19) was debated in the 2007 General Assembly, failed in sub-committee, and was reintroduced in the recently concluded 2008 session where it was referred to the 2009 session. HJ19 calls for a constitutional amendment that limits annual tax assessment increases to no more than 1%, plus any percentage increase in the rate of inflation, until a property is sold, at which time the property gets reassessed at what is then its fair market value (sales price). HJ19 also limits property tax rate increases to no more than 1% of the previous year’s rate.

We’re making headway, but there is still much work to be done. Although VOTORS has succeeded at including our issue in the highly popular Freedom & Prosperity Agenda, now endorsed by over 40 legislators in Richmond, HJ19 unfortunately failed in the 2007 session because eight of the eleven delegates on a subcommittee in the House Privileges and Elections Committee felt “uncomfortable limiting the local governments’ right to raise revenue". Apparently those delegates, both democrats and republicans, put governments’ rights ahead of your individual right to liberty and economic freedom.

Regardless of your income or state of wealth, if you are concerned with the rising real estate tax assessments and their potential adverse impact on your property tax bill, I invite you to join together with thousands of other VOTORS from all over Virginia to gain control of our property taxes. I invite you to explore this VOTORS web site to learn more about the property tax process in Virginia, the VOTORS position, the full text of HJ19, the history of Proposition 13 in California, the Freedom and Prosperity Agenda and the resulting increase and stability of revenue growth that an "Acquisition-Value Based" property tax system can bring. Click on the "Find Out" button to learn how this initiative will affect your property taxes. Most importantly, join VOTORS by clicking on the "Join" button found on any page. Membership is free... contributions are always welcome and needed...but it will be the power of many thousands of Virginians like you that will finally persuade Richmond to reform our unfair real estate tax system.

Constitutional change in Virginia is very difficult and requires the involvement of average hard working citizens. You own your government. Your Delegates and Senators represent you…but they must hear from you and they must know you are united and serious in your demand to limit increases in property taxes. Discuss this issue with your families, friends and neighbors. Click on the VOTORS Position Statement button and print several copies of the "Printer Friendly" version and pass them around. Together, the VOTORS will send a clear message to our state candidates and elected officials that we want a Virginia Constitutional Amendment that provides limits on annual increases in property value assessments and on increases in the property tax rates.

Welcome to VOTORS.

Al Aitken, Chairman
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it