Editor, Gazette-Journal:

The Mathews County Board of Supervisors is considering 7 cents per $100 of assessments increase in the real estate rate, which calculates to a 14.89 percent increase. On the other hand, that is saying that a home with an assessed value of $200,000 increased $30,000 which would then have a total value of $230,000. The tax rate at the current rate of $.47 on the $200,000 value would be $940 and the taxes on the considered rate of $.54 would be $1,080; however, a home assessed at $230,000 using the current rate of $.47 would be $1,080, so from any way you view the tax rate, your property increased 15 percent.

I sure hope mine did, but without a shadow of a doubt it did not. If anything, the values of property around the $200,000-$300,000 range sell at a faster pace than homes around $750,000-$1,000,000; however, the county is implying that all property increased 15 percent. In addition, the higher the price, the longer it takes to sell and, therefore, in many ca...