OCOTLÁN DE MORELOS – “Look up to the El Peral mountains. That is where we do our ritual ceremony to call for rain,” says Josefina Santiago, 43, a Zapotec Indigenous leader. “We bury chocolate, flowers and a maize beverage called tejate to ask for gentle rainfall. We call ourselves water sowers: [we are] reclaiming our […]
May 11, 2021 / 06:59 PM EST
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) The Marion County assessor says an appeal process is in place for property-tax assessments, and about 50% of the appeals are granted but property owners have to take the first step.
Esperanza Alonzo has taken the first step and filed an appeal. She is also helping put together a neighborhood group to fight the sharp increase in property taxes.
“We already have several people and we went to meet up office with the person that is in charge of the appeals. Our next step is to continue working with the neighborhoods to gather as many people as possible till everybody to appeal before the deadline,” Alonzo said.
May 7, 2021 / 11:07 PM EST
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) Property taxes for thousands of Marion County residents have skyrocketed. In some cases, taxes have tripled.
The increase in property taxes is concentrated in and around the Fountain Square area. That area has experienced a lot of redevelopment over the past couple years, leading to higher home sale prices and now higher taxes.
And right in the middle of all the redevelopment sits Esperanza Alonzo’s house. She is a lawyer and moved to the Fountain Square area 10 years ago. Her most recent property tax bill caught her by surprise.
“I used to pay about less than $1,000 a year and now I’m paying more, almost $3,000 for one of the properties,” said Alonzo.
Property Tax Bills Significantly Increased in Marion County
INDIANAPOLIS It’s a legal process that may sound uninteresting, but it’s actually causing property taxes in Marion County to explode.
It’s called the yearly property reassessment: it’s a process the Marion County Assessor’s Office is legally required to complete. The assessor’s office examines a quarter of the county, considers the home sale prices and number of new construction permits issued, and adjusts your property bills.
This year, it’s the Fountain Square area, where lawyer Esperanza Alonzo has lived for ten years.
Alonzo showed her recent property tax bill to WISH-TV. It caught her by surprise to say the least.