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Greene to court: Order Progress to pay tax
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CRYSTAL RIVER — Progress Energy Florida should pay its full 2012 Citrus County property taxes because its property assessments are appropriate, attorneys for Property Appraiser Geoff Greene said in court documents.
Greene’s answer to the Progress lawsuit, received by the circuit court last week, also says the company never disputed its taxes since a 1998 court decision that allowed the property appraiser to fully assess pollution-control equipment.
Greene’s attorneys also allege the company filed its tax returns too late and never contested the 2012 assessments.
Progress sued Greene over its 2012 assessment, claiming that pollution-control equipment should be taxed as salvage at 10 percent of its cost in accordance to state law.
Greene, however, is relying on the 1998 court decision declaring that law unconstitutional.
The judge in that case, Patricia Thomas, recused herself from the current lawsuit.
Progress in November paid $19.3 million in taxes; the county says it owes about $35 million.
The county and school board now have a “fiscal emergency” because of the lesser-than-expected tax payment, Greene’s attorneys contend.
Progress said its $19.3 million is a “good faith” payment of taxes. Greene’s court response is the payment represents just 56 percent of the taxes owed.
Other highlights of Greene’s response, according to court files:
+ Progress did not file a return for its pollution control equipment until after the April 1, 2012, deadline. The company requested and received an extension for its tangible personal property but the extension did not include the pollution control. Progress cannot claim the salvage exemption because it missed the filing deadline.
+ Pollution-control equipment is included in the Progress rate base and therefore should be considered part of the energy-generating equipment.
+ After the 1998 court case, the property appraiser and Progress agreed on a methodology to assess pollution-control equipment. Greene’s response said the company never disputed that agreement nor did it contest any of the taxes until this year.
+ The school board and county commission each relied on Progress to make its full tax payment.
+ The company should pay at least $15.1 million in addition to what it has paid for 2012.
Progress spokeswoman Suzanne Grant declined to answer specific questions regarding the lawsuit. She emailed a statement that read, in part:
“Progress Energy Florida complies with the tax laws in every jurisdiction in which we do business. We believe we are in compliance with tax laws applicable to our business in Citrus County, and we are working through the appropriate system to resolve this issue.”
Contact Chronicle reporter Mike Wright at 352-563-3228 or mwright@chronicleonline.com.
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Has Greene or Any Court Official Looked At the Site?
Has a judge went out to Duke/Progress Energy lately? Have they seen this run-down dump site that claims to be a nuclear power plant? Geoffe Greene OVER ASSESSED the value in the first place just like he has over assessed residential values! Sure sounds good and everything but when you want to sell, the value is well under what Geoffe Greene is claiming the value is worth. Therefore, the county is collecting and making money off of you while, in fact, you are losing money on inflated values! This is illegal and corrupt. Don't you think a judge can figure that one out? Oh, I forgot the judges in this county are in the local politicians pockets! Thank goodness they got a new judge to make better informed decisions than the crooked ones from this county!
If the judge was wise, he'd take a tour of the facilities and realize that the value has been over assessed and inflated for purposes of illegal activity by local government officials! On top of that, the judge should be aware that Duke/Progress Energy feels the need to make their customers pay for their 4 billion dollar renovations which should have been taken care of as they arised and not years after more deterioration has taken place. Oh, I forgot, Progress Energy tried to fix some of it but, they hired a contract company that made the situation worse and did not even fix damages that they created and now they want the public to bail them out. This is a major concern to the area, which people don't realize. First, we all have been paying in advance for the the construction of the plant in Crystal River and now we are paying in advance for the construction of a purposed site in Levy county. Then, as the C.R. plant is still in operation only leads to an ongoing crisis. If something, non-terrorist assisted, happens we will inherit a major disaster. Nuclear leakage will dissemate the areas water ways and cause major nuclear fallout like Chernobyl. Radiation from nuclear power will be felt 100 miles in diameter from the center of the nucleus. This not only encompasses Citrus County but, all the way toward Orlando an to the south Tampa Bay and to the north it would reach northward towards Tallahassee. Does that sound like something that should be dictated by our local morons who think they know what they are doing when they don't even have a clue! I don't think, so! Tell Geoffe Greene to stick it up his a@#%! Tell Duke/Progress Energy to fix this problem immediately. Most of us don't have options of another power company. There is a monopoly in the energy & utilities sector in Citrus and throughout Florida. The problem is that out of state companies don't have an idea of what is going on in Florida!
Brealistic