Does this

rural land revaluation map
resemble the

Comprehensive Plan Future Development map?


Why not?
And why were rivers and public transportation not considered either
by the Lowndes County Tax Assessors
while tracts with road frontage were considered the
“highest market area”
and
land purchases by Bill Gates
were considered
“benchmark sales” instrumental in pricing large tracts?

This rural land revaluation is yet another vehicle to drive development straight north into the agricultural areas of the county, not even stopping at the Withlacoochee River.

That way lies sprawl, which as Dr. Jeffrey H. Dorfman of UGA has said,
“is a certain ticket to fiscal ruin* * Or at least big tax increases.”

The City of Valdosta better watch out! Much of this

rural revaluation is upstream from Valdosta, and clearcutting and impermeable surfaces would drive still more flood waters right into the city.

Many rural landowners were no doubt surprised to find their valuations almost or more than doubled, but that’s not the main issue.
The main issue is this revaluation ignored the Comprehensive Plan
and any need to conserve agricultural land. If we wanted to live in
Atlanta, we would. We don’t want every tree chopped down or every
acre paved over in Lowndes County.

Follow

this link for much more.

The first step to fixing this is for rural landowners to appeal
their revaluation proposed by the

Tax Assessors.

-jsq