(WSBT) Taxpayers in one Elkhart community already have their bills, and they're fired up about it.

In the Simonton Lake area, some homeowners have seen their bills double or triple from last year. They've been hit hard because they're being taxed more for having lakefront property.

Jim Dubbert has a home just off Simonton Lake.

He says he's like many home owners with lakefront property. They saw a huge hike in their property taxes this year, due to the re-assessment.

"…Went from $1,200 a year to $3,600 a year,” Dubbert said. “In rough mathematics that's more than double, that's almost triple."

It’s much the same for many homeowners in Simonton Lake, many of whom are retired.

"Last year I paid $1,048.98. This year I’m paying $3,017.49," explained Harry Hostetter.

Many feel the spike is due to higher re-assessment on lakefront property.

“And for instance, my folks’ land I think was appraised at about $30,000-$40,000 last year," Heidi Compton told WSBT News. "The lakefront value has gone up to $135,000 this year."

"My assessed valuation went up 158 percent," said Richard Dubbert. "My property taxes for my house went up 305 percent."

"The new tax rate that they have imposed on me, now is going to account for more than 8 percent of my fixed income," said Dennis Maloney.

As they point out, it is not only a hardship for retirees and those living on fixed incomes, it’s also going to present a problem for young families just starting out.

“There's no incentive for young couples like my grand kids to buy houses, because they can't afford them once they got a $200 or $300 tax bill, on top of their mortgage," explained Vicki Dubbert.

Simonton Lake residents plan to have public meeting Thursday night at 7 p.m. to discuss their predicament.

They're going to write letters to Governor Daniels and local council members. They're also starting a petition drive supporting an end to property taxes.