Property tax increases alarm Lincoln Heights Block Club residents- an appeal to Cuyahoga County and City representatives for relief
To the editor:
Letter to Cuyahoga County Council and Cleveland City Council
Dear President Brady, Councilwomen Conwell, Councilman McCormack,
Other Distinguished Members of Cuyahoga and Cleveland Councils :
(Plain Press, September 2018) I have spent several days putting together the attached spread sheet of just a very small portion of Tremont.
We are the Lincoln Heights Block Club, our service area is located in the midst of the Scranton Ave. Corridor, running from the Highway I-71 / I-90 to the east, West 25th to the west, Train Ave to the north, and Wade Avenue to the south.
I have concentrated on mostly owner occupied residential properties within the spread sheet. I did not include strictly commercial properties, known rental properties, apartment buildings, mixed use properties, and vacant land. Some addresses could not be reviewed on the County Data base. We reviewed 119 properties within the confines of our block club.
Our Block Club is one of the oldest within Tremont, and has dozens of lifelong, and long term constituents. Our Cleveland City Council representation changed with the last redistricting, prior to that we were located in Ward 14, but our current location is now in Ward 3.
We have been in contact with several news media outlets over the past week, but just finalized our data for review. Over 35% of our owner occupied residential properties are Hispanic families. Many others are either senior citizens, low income, or disabled.
We are part of Tremont, yes. But the demographics are similar to the Metro North Area (Tremont) and the Clark / Fulton Neighborhoods of Ward 14. The Metro North Area has seen either a property evaluation reduction in value or a minimal increase in values averaging only 10%. Our service area, while only a mile north has averaged over a 50% increase.
Many properties have doubled (100%) and dozens have seen increase close to 200% or even larger topping out at over 400%. Only 1 property listed on the spread sheet had a decrease in value and a couple had less than 10% increases.
We had a special gathering last night (August 8th), all property owners are very concerned that these property evaluation increases are extreme, out of line, and not in any conformity within the area. These increases if upheld will provide irreparable harm to the property owners, create systemic gentrification, dismantle the diverse fabric of the Scranton Corridor, and force people to end up selling their properties.
Property speculators, land predators, and developers send weekly post cards and letters to property owners in our service area claiming to want to buy our properties. These communications further the paranoia that our elected officials and Cleveland City Planning have plans to force residents out of there long term dwelling units.
Most properties have been in the same hands for generations. The property owners are mostly all working class, or living on small levels of retirements and fixed incomes. It would be a very large burden for the majority of them to follow the new County protocol and have an appraisal prior to August 31st. to contest the proposed increases.
Many residents are already on Homestead Exemptions, but are having struggles paying existing tax levels, monthly bills, property upkeep, medical expenses, and food. Larger families are significantly struggling to make ends meet.
We are hoping all elected officials can work together to get extensions to the County Protocol, and step in to assist the constituents. One major issue that has come up, with such a large Spanish speaking population several residents do not understand that their evaluations have gone up 50% or 100% and since Official Notifications are all in English, it is felt that this is quite discriminatory.
We have been in contact and are working with our local CDC, Tremont West Development Corp., and we have asked the Executive Director to request a Board Resolution that would address such large percentage increases in all of Tremont.
Henry P. Senyak
Chairperson Lincoln Heights Block Club
Editor’s Note: The spread sheet which indicates the percentage increases in property values proposed by County Appraisers for houses in the Lincoln Heights Block Club area will be posted on the Plain Press website: http://www.plainpress.org.
