Clarence Taxpayers: Tell a Lie Often Enough, It Becomes Truth

Rock Oak: The Mos Eisley of #Clarence.

Today (Saturday) from 8:30 to 12:00 at a free pancake breakfast at the Rock Oak Resident Center at 9918 Whitwick Terrace, the community is invited to meet anti-school candidate for the #Clarence school board, Rich Worling.

The "Clarence Taxpayers" refer to Worling as "your candidate", but he's not at all _my_ candidate.

When the Clarence Bee tried to get some information about him, this is all they received:

Worling is a real estate agent with Hunt Realty in Clarence, and his wife, Kimberly, cited his experience in the realty industry and his commitment to his children’s education — at Christian Central Academy in Amherst— as qualifications for serving on the board.

“He understands that school rankings need to be high and taxes need to be low in order to keep property values for all residents at their peak,” Kimberly Worling said. “He’s very committed to education of all children, and the fact that we pay both Clarence school taxes and private education costs show how important education is to him.”

Remember: NOBODY WHO LIVES IN ROCK OAK PAYS SCHOOL TAX.  Is developer Paul Stephen behind this? After all, he bankrolled last year's deliberate destruction of the entire school district's extracurriculars, and he's the sole school tax payer at Rock Oak. I think the fact that he pays for parochial education means he has a problem with public education.

Furthermore, the "Clarence Taxpayers" are dishonorably lying on their website about taxes over the years. They've selectively cherry-picked some numbers to make their case.

They allege that, even with the higher 2002 - 2003 school tax rate on a 200,000 home (paying $3314), they note that the same home is now worth $265,500 and pays $3878 per year.

THEY OMIT THE FACT THAT, BECAUSE THE BUDGET IS AT THE CAP, EVERYONE WILL GET A REBATE CHECK RESULTING IN A NET ZERO TAX INCREASE.

Marlese Wacek is the most outspoken member of the "Clarence Taxpayers" tag-team. (She's the woman who screams wildly at people with whom she disagrees). A nice 3,186 SF 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom colonial near Meadowlakes.

In 2001, Wacek paid $3875 on a house assessed at $244,000.
In 2002, Wacek paid $3546 on a house assessed at $244,000
In 2003, Wacek paid $3605 on a house assessed at $244,000
In 2004, Wacek paid $4163 on a house assessed at $280,800.
In 2005, Wacek paid $3923 on a house assessed at $280,800
In 2006, Wacek paid $4249 on a house assessed at $299,000
In 2007, Wacek paid $4252 on a house assessed at $299,000
In 2008, Wacek paid $4330 on a house assessed at $324,000. 
In 2009, Wacek paid $4185 on a house assessed at $324,000
In 2010, Wacek paid $4162 on a house assessed at $324,000
In 2011, Wacek paid $4153 on a house assessed at $324,000
In 2012, Wacek paid $4121 on a house assessed at $324,000
In 2013, Wacek paid $4297 on a house assessed at $324,000. 

That's odd. Her assessment only went up 3 times in the last 12 years? She's been assessed at $324k since 2008?!  In any event, they pay less in 2013 than in 2008 on the same assessed value. How is that "unfair" to the "taxpayer"? Where is the unsustainability?

(The cheapest 5 bed/3 bath house currently on the market in Clarence is on Winding Creek Lane and is listed at $524,900.)

So, let's just randomly take Wacek's next-door neighbor. They have a 2,631 SF 4 bed, 2.5 bath home. Their assessment went up 4 times in 12 years, and they paid more in actual dollars in 2006 and 2007 with a lower assessment than they did in the last few years.

2001 $2576 on a house assessed at $192,200
2002 $3069 on a house assessed at $215,200
2003 $3119 on a house assessed at $215,200
2004 $3469 on a house assessed at $239,000
2005 $3263 on a house assessed at $239,000
2006 $3632 on a house assessed at $260,000
2007 $3636 on a house assessed at $260,000
2008 $3608 on a house assessed at $275,000
2009 $3488 on a house assessed at $275,000
2010 $3468 on a house assessed at $275,000
2011 $3461 on a house assessed at $275,000
2012 $3493 on a house assessed at $275,000
2013 $3581 on a house assessed at $275,000

Me?

In 2002, I paid $4100 in school taxes on property assessed at $248,000. In 2007, I paid $4340 on a $305k assessment. In 2013, I paid $4310 on a $325k assessment.

Look up your own numbers at this link, and use the "previous years" tab.

Do not let them get away with their lies. It's enough. RESPECT THE TAXPAYER, INDEED.