Otter Tail County poorly run

To the editor:

Area Taxpayers paying the bill!! Why?!!

When it comes to paying taxes there is a big difference in how your property is classified.

Our county assessor (Robert Moe), and some of his employees are in a campaign to reclassifying a persons property taxes to increase the taxes they receive so they can pay for the unchecked spending of Otter Tail County.

They also started to collect taxes on improvements from a retired person made 20 years ago. And from bins or buildings that have been removed or torn down. And I know that I am one (Gary Buckmeier). Ill pay my fair share but not beyond.

This came to a head on Feb. 16, 2006, when I received a letter from the Otter Tail County assessor (Robert Moe) telling me my property would be considered residential homestead, versus agricultural homestead for 2006 assessment for payable in 2007.

It would double my taxes, I know. I asked an employee of the Otter Tail County assessors office.

To keep my agricultural homestead classification, I needed to prove I had at least 10 acres of tillable or used for agricultural purposes.

My wetland reserve land was considered agricultural and pasture land too, was taxed accordingly based on the assessor report. But they had a misunderstanding of how the laws of the Wetland Reserve Program Report were read.

According to the assessor he is taxing my Wetlands Reserve as pasture land and valued as such. However, on the pasture land he is taxing is an untrue assessment, because pasture land is considered agricultural land which I have in the Wetlands Reserve Program. On pasture land which is in Wetland Reserve Program you can not put buildings or deer stands, snowmobile, and 4-wheelers according to the wording of the easement. The two things in recreational use you can do is hunting and fishing only. Wetlands Reserve Program means forever, the law states that.

Robert Moe is still using the old method of assessing pasture land. Higher then value just to get more tax dollars. He had not checked the Wetlands Reserve Program to see if that is taxed right or is out of his jurisdiction.

Mr. Moe (County Assessor) said I had only 9 acres and I, Gary Buckmeier, had to prove 10 acres.

I spent a lot of hours and travel expense going to different government agencies to get the information to prove my point. I got legal advice. It was easy to prove the 10 acres for agricultural homestead. I also found out that my farm had only 2 acres of classified wasteland. However, wetlands are considered wasteland; my farm has approximately 30 acres of wetland, the assessor over valued my farm by approximately $10,000 a year, which I have been paying assessments on. This has been going on for approximately 20 years.

I mentioned this to Mr. Moe that I would be sending him a bill for the hours of work and gas, not to mention the 20 years of being over-charged on my assessments.

Mr. Moe, with a smirk on his face just laughed and wished me luck, knowing he will have the final say in this matter!!!! He thinks. Why?

My wife witnessed his behavior; I have spent a lot of money and time on my land in the Wetlands Reserve Program. Those future generations are going to enjoy and benefit from the Wetlands Reserve Program activities.

It is truly sad when the government, Otter Tail County, doesnt do the same research in assessment of the property value.

They would rather reclassify pasture land to lakeshore. Why? Just to make more money, forcing the owners to sell out to big land developers for more taxes. Then, when natural shoreline is built up only to cause more pollution in our area lakes.

A property owner should not have to shoulder the burden of proof and the expense that goes with it. We need to get people in office who will work with the people and not against them.

A last word of advice is to watch your ASSESSMENTS. This comes from a person who was unfairly assessed more than once over a great amount of time. I also know of other people who have been unfairly assessed. Why pay more taxes then are truly due?

This is from a concerned resident of Newton Township

Gary Buckmeier

NY Mills