NPTR: Alert 194: Point - Counter Point with Washoe County Manager

Thu Jan 15 16:33:35 PST 2009

It's never going to end as long as Washoe has to pay money.
They've procrastinated for 5 years,  and     nothing seems to  change
Alvin Bakst

In a message dated 1/15/2009 9:59:17 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
tahoewayne at nvbell.net writes:

-----  NEVADA PROPERTY OWNERS .. EMAIL ALERT MESSAGE   -----

POINT – COUNTER POINT WITH
WASHOE COUNTY  MANAGER

ALERT: #194
DATE: January 15, 2009
TO: Incline Village & Crystal Bay  Property Owners
FROM: Village League  Tax Revolt Committee

Dear Incline  Village & Crystal Bay Property Tax Protesters,

Following are  communications between Katy Simon, Washoe County Manager and 
Maryanne  Ingemanson, President of the Village League.  Reading these two email 
 messages will give you more insight into our challenges trying to come to an 
 equitable resolution settling our property tax revolt issues with Washoe  
County.

Sincerely,

Wayne   Fischer

Wayne Fischer, Webmaster
Village League to Save  Incline Assets
www.NevadaPropertyTaxRevolt.org

POINT

From: Simon, Katy
Sent: Wednesday, January  14, 2009 12:31 PM
To: mingemanson at charter.net
Cc: Shea, E. Terrance;  Lipparelli, Paul A.; Creekman, David; Wilson, Josh G. 
(Assessor)
Subject:  FW: NPTR: Alert 192: Possible Breakthrough!!

Dear Ms.  Ingemanson,

Good afternoon.  I am following up on my email to you  from last Thursday.  
We are still hoping to have a clarification from you  regarding the purpose of 
your meeting with me on January 22.  Again, if  you are hoping to discuss some 
new settlement ideas that you think I am  empowered to offer, we did not want 
to waste anyone's time.  The  settlement that we offered previously, that is, 
that all property owners who  properly filed an appeal and had one of the 
improper methodologies applied to  their property, was and is the only settlement 
we can offer, and I believe all  those cases have been disposed of and 
refunds are being computed for  distribution.

Neither the Board of County Commissioners, nor the DA's  Office, nor myself 
have any authority under law to settle the remaining  question of law, which is 
whether people who did not properly file appeals and  who did not have any of 
the offending methodologies applied to their property  have any right to 
enjoy some reduction of their property tax  obligation.

I would be most grateful if you would let us know the  purpose of your 
meeting with me, so that we are properly prepared.  If it  was for the purpose of 
discussing possible settlements, please note that there  is nothing new, and has 
been nothing new for months.

Thanks,
Katy  Simon

COUNTER  POINT

From: Maryanne Ingemanson
Sent: Wednesday,  January 14, 2009 9:02 PM
To: 'Simon, Katy’; ‘Keven MacMillan’; 'Chuck  Otto'; 'Dale Akers'; 'John 
Carney'; 'Les Barta'; 'Suellen Fulstone'; 'Todd  Lowe'; 'Wayne Fischer'
Cc: 'Shea, E. Terrance'; 'Lipparelli, Paul A.';  'Creekman, David'; 'Wilson, 
Josh G. (Assessor)'; 'John Breternitz'; 'James  Settlemeyer'; 'Townsend 
Randolph'; 'Kelly J. Chouinard'
Subject: RE: NPTR:  Alert 192: Possible Breakthrough!!

Dear Ms. Simon,

You have made  it quite clear that you have no intention of attempting to 
settle the  outstanding cases involving Washoe County and the Incline Village and 
Crystal  Bay taxpayers.  Even so, a meeting between opposing parties often 
can  have beneficial results. I feel that it is unfair to call our scheduled  
meeting, in advance, a “waste of time”. In any event, I don’t mind “wasting my 
 time” in such an endeavor and I am puzzled by your obvious reluctance to 
meet  with county residents even to discuss the situation.

Although your  statement, that neither the “Board of County Commissioners, 
nor the DA’s  Office, nor myself have any authority under law to settle the 
remaining  question of law…” is technically accurate, it is seriously misleading. 
  None of us, other than the courts, have the authority to "settle" the  
"law".  No one is asking you or other County employees or the members of  the 
County Commission to "settle" the "law."  The issue here is the  settlement of 
pending lawsuits involving the County and it is preposterous to  suggest that the 
County Commissioners are somehow helpless to do anything  under those 
circumstances.  Under NRS 244.165, the County Commission has  the express authority 
to control the prosecution or defense of all lawsuits  where the county is a 
party.  The Nevada Supreme Court has said that this  statute authorizes the 
County to settle cases. (Clark County v. Lewis, 88 Nev.  354 (1972).)  You 
yourself have undoubtedly been in attendance at  numerous meetings of the County 
Commission where settlements of pending  lawsuits were agendized, discussed and 
approved or rejected. In fact, in your  capacity as County Manager, you have 
undoubtedly recommended that the  Commission approve or reject such proposed 
settlements.  Clearly, the  County is not precluded by a "lack of authority under 
law" from settling the  pending tax cases; it simply refuses to do so.  

As a result of  the County's refusal to address or correct the Incline 
Village/Crystal Bay  property tax issue for the last six years, the cost to refund 
the over-paid  taxes, as directed by the courts, is already in the millions of 
dollars. To  have corrected these problems when they were first presented 
would have cost  the County $55,000.  This is, on its face, fiscal mismanagement.  
It  remains to be seen whether that mismanagement of the public's money will 
be  continued or whether  sincere efforts will be made to resolve the  
remaining issues.  The Incline Village/Crystal Bay taxpayers have been  and remain 
willing to make such efforts.

If you plan to cancel our  January 22nd meeting, please let me know 
immediately.  

Maryanne  Ingemanson, President
Village League to Save Incline Assets,  Inc.

---------------------------------

Village League to Save Incline Assets Board  Members:
- Maryanne  Ingemanson, President
- Dale  Akers, Historian
- Les Barta,  Law Research
- John Carney,  Analyst
- Wayne Fischer,  Webmaster
- Todd Lowe,  Financial,
- Chuck Otto, Public  Relations 

Village League  to Save Incline Assets, Inc.
Non-Profit Corporation - FEIN  88-0399029
1165 Vivian Lane, Incline Village, NV 89451
Phone:  775-831-4011, Fax  775-831-0325
www.NevadaPropertyTaxRevolt.org

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