University of Central Oklahoma By Jessica Halliburton Staff Writer
THEVIsrA The Student Voice Since 1903
TUESDAY March 5, 1996
ust the facts, ma'am: State Question 669
Just about every evening a commercial can be seen on TV about State Question 669—a freeze, a fraud, a what?! Why all the fuss? Here's a breakdown of the issue that has taken Oklahoma by storm. Mike Means, Oklahoma county assessor, said there's no easy way to explain it, but said he would make it easy for the average person to understand, minus the legal jargon. Means said SQ 669 changes the method of which real property is valued for tax purposes. 6a1111 "------1 An example of real property is a piece of land with a house on it as opposed to personal property, such as a car or a boat. Means said right now appraisals of real property are done to set a value and determine its tax. Under SQ 669, the tax of the property is set according to its value as of Dec. 1, 1993. Under SQ 669, as soon
What is it about State Question 669 that raises the ire of educators and rallies the support of property taxpayers? Staff writer Jessica Halliburton sorts out fact from fiction.
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as the property is sold or improvements are made on the property, the amount of taxes paid on that property changes. Means said some exceptions to the 669 rule would be: • If the property is passed down in the family, there would be no change in taxes. • Agriculture land is barely affected because it is considered under 'use value,' so it won't be affected as much as everything else," Means said. He gave an example of how property tax will change if SQ 669 passes. "Let's say you've owned your property since 1990. Your taxes have gone up due to increases in assessment. And they've gone up as recently as 1994. "Well, if 669
passes, those taxes will roll back to 1993 and they will stay there. "If you sell that property to someone in 1996, the value they pay for that property is the value they will pay for taxes." Means said communities go through hot and cold periods or "rebirth periods" based on growth of neighborhoods and other factors. Currently, the value of real property is re-assessed as it moves through different periods. He said under SQ 669, the owner pays taxes on property based on the value of what
V See SQ 669, Page 3
House to vote on bill to raise minimum wage House Bill 2052, the legislation that would raise the minimum wage scale in Oklahoma from the present $4.25 to $5 an hour, has passed in the House committee and awaits approval by the Oklahoma House of Representatives March 14. The bill's author, Democratic Rep. Opio Toure of District 99, Oklahoma City, said the scale is set on both a state and a national level. Areas covered by Interstate Commerce are required by federal law to provide the national minimum. However, indivdual states can choose a higher rate, he said. Eleven states now have minimum wages higher than the federally mandated rate. Hawaii and the District of Columbia have the highest rate at $5.25, followed by New Jersey's $5.05. Washington State's pay scale begins at $4.90. Alaska, Maine, Oregon and Vermont set the state scale at $4.75. Delaware and Iowa pay $4.65 an hour while Rhode Island starts at $4.45.
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VOTING NEWS Voting absentee an advantage for college students. Find out how in The Vista.
SPORTS The Lady Broncho's Softball team finishes 2-3 in the Central Oklahoma invitational.
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COLUMN Columnist Machine Gun Mary gives a candid perspective on mother, daughter relationships.
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