Pinellas County Property Appraiser

St. Pete retirement communities decry ‘unlawful’ property appraisal, seek tax refunds

Published on June 23, 2017 in Local Courts/Top Headlines by Phil Ammann

Three St. Petersburg retirement communities are accusing the Pinellas County Property Appraiser’s office of “unlawfully” calculating of property values, leading to overpayment of thousands of dollars on its 2016 tax bill. In separate lawsuits, owners of the three properties are suing Mike Twitty, as Pinellas County Property Appraiser; tax collector Charles W. Thomas and Leon M. Biegalski, who serves as executive director of the Florida Department of Revenue. The suits, filed June 19 and 20 in Pinellas County Circuit Court,…

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Nielsen is demanding $800K property-tax refund from Pinellas County due to accounting error

Published on March 27, 2017 in Local Courts/Top Headlines by Staff Reports

Global marketing research company Nielsen is demanding a refund of thousands in Pinellas County property taxes after the company discovered an accounting error. On March 10, the New York-based firm filed suit against Pinellas County Property Appraiser Mike Twitty, Tax Collector Charles Thomas and Leon Biegalski, who serves as executive director of the Florida Department of Revenue. Nielsen is asking for $800,000 returned from the $2-million paid in Pinellas County property taxes for the years 2013 and 2014 for its…

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Mike Twitty defeats Jim Frishe in Pinellas property appraiser’s race

Published on August 30, 2016 in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by Anne Lindberg

Political newcomer Mike Twitty easily defeated political veteran Jim Frishe to take the Republican nomination for Pinellas property appraiser. Twitty took the lead in early voting and never looked back. In unofficial results, he trounced Frishe with about 60 percent of the vote. In beating Frishe, it’s likely Twitty will be the next Pinellas property appraiser. He faces write-in candidate Joseph John Catalano in the Nov. 8 general election. But it’s unlikely Catalano will be able to prevail. “I am…

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Bob Gualtieri, Mike Twitty far ahead in fundraising for Pinellas posts

Published on August 11, 2016 in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by Anne Lindberg

With less than a month to go before the Aug. 30 primary, Mike Twitty continues to swamp Jim Frishe in the fundraising race. Twitty, who’s running his first campaign, has raised about 2 ½ times more than political veteran Frishe, a former state representative. The two Republicans are vying to be the next Pinellas County property appraiser. Incumbent Pam Dubov is not running for reelection. Twitty raised $370 in the six-days between July 23 and 29, the most recent reporting…

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In first campaign video, Mike Twitty says Jim Frishe has history of raising taxes

Published on July 18, 2016 in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by Anne Lindberg

Mike Twitty, who’s running for Pinellas County property appraiser released a new video ad today. The ad, available on YouTube, touts Twitty’s 26 years of experience as a property appraiser in Pinellas County. Twitty says in the ad that his experience makes him aware that you have to get appraisals and property taxes right. Twitty, as he has since the beginning of the campaign, portrays Republican primary opponent Jim Frishe as a “career politician.” Twitty charges that Frishe, a former state representative,…

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Lack of competition hasn’t slowed down fundraising for some Pinellas County candidates

Published on May 12, 2016 in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by Devon Crumpacker

There aren’t too many candidates running for each of the Pinellas County constitutional officer posts up for election in 2016, but that doesn’t mean the donation money isn’t flowing. According to the Supervisor of Elections’ most recent finance reports, in the Pinellas Property Appraiser race, Mike Twitty, a political newcomer and 25-year professional real estate appraiser, is handily out-fundraising his lone opponent, fellow Republican and former state Rep. Jim Frishe, $120,820 to $44,065. Current Pinellas Property Appraiser Pam Dubov is stepping down at the…

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Mike Twitty adds to fundraising lead over Jim Frishe in Pinellas Property Appraiser race

Published on May 11, 2016 in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by Devon Crumpacker

In the race for Pinellas County’s Property Appraiser post, Mike Twitty is continuing to out-fundraise his lone opponent, fellow Republican Jim Frishe. According to the latest campaign finance reports from the Supervisor of Elections, Frishe hauled in $3,750 on six donations in April. Not a bad showing, considering that until now he hasn’t raised over $650 in any monthly reporting period since the start of 2016. Twitty, however, had a stronger showing, coming close to doubling Frishe’s April fundraising total, reeling…

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