Property Taxes: Are they *needed*?

[miketheidiot]

property tax rates should only go to maintaining things related to property, ie sewers. I find property taxes in general to be the most offensive tax, not to mention that it is by far the most regressive.

 

[miketheidiot]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

A local property tax allows for the direct distribution of those taxes to fund local services for you and your property.

If I'm from out of state, why should I have to pay a higher sales/income tax so that you can have all of your local services (fire/police/water/sewer/schools/hospitals/etc)?

if you go to anywhere, you are paying the taxes applied to that business, for example the property taxes on a hotal/mall/amusement park/etc are costs of the business and increase the costs that must be paid by consumers.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: miketheidiot
property tax rates should only go to maintaining things related to property, ie sewers. I find property taxes in general to be the most offensive tax, not to mention that it is by far the most regressive.

How do you pay for local services then?

 

[miketheidiot]

Originally posted by: TheSlamma
Kiss your police, schools, libraries, and firefighters away if you dump property taxes.

there are other, more efficient taxes, that can be applied at the local level, without imposing an unnecessary burden on individuals.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: miketheidiot

Originally posted by: TheSlamma
Kiss your police, schools, libraries, and firefighters away if you dump property taxes.

there are other, more efficient taxes, that can be applied at the local level, without imposing an unnecessary burden on individuals.

Name them. I can't think anything more efficient than property taxes. Note, not all towns have commercial bases that can sustain a town's local services.

 

[miketheidiot]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: miketheidiot
property tax rates should only go to maintaining things related to property, ie sewers. I find property taxes in general to be the most offensive tax, not to mention that it is by far the most regressive.

How do you pay for local services then?

sales taxes, preferably.

edit: Personally i would like states to take of alot of local governance.

 

[miketheidiot]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: miketheidiot

Originally posted by: TheSlamma
Kiss your police, schools, libraries, and firefighters away if you dump property taxes.

there are other, more efficient taxes, that can be applied at the local level, without imposing an unnecessary burden on individuals.

Name them. I can't think anything more efficient than property taxes. Note, not all towns have commercial bases that can sustain a town's local services.

property taxes have the highest overhead of the major tax varieties.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: miketheidiot

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: miketheidiot
property tax rates should only go to maintaining things related to property, ie sewers. I find property taxes in general to be the most offensive tax, not to mention that it is by far the most regressive.

How do you pay for local services then?

sales taxes, preferably.

Outside of cities or towns with large retail bases. Sales taxes won't even cover a fraction of a town's local services. What about towns with only a few restaurants, gas station and maybe a single super market? Many cities/towns have large commercial bases where a largest amount of local revenue is generated from their property taxes.

Or are you implying sale taxes collected at the state level be distributed back to towns/cities? How would that revenue base be allocated appropriately?

So, cities/towns should drive out commercial businesses for retail?

 

[Zorba]

As far as paying for local services, this can also be accomplished with local income taxes and local school income taxes. Ohio, for example, charges both, plus very high property tax. In Ohio they also put tax increases to vote in special elections with very little publicity, so the turn outs are unbelievably low.

IMO, property taxes are very regressive. They can easily push poor and retired people out of their homes.

Originally posted by: piasabird
You are in error if you assume property taxes should keep going up. I think it is all a sham. The government just says your property is worth more, and then they make you pay more. If you let the government get away with it, you get what you deserve. So if you live in California and your property has gone down in value you should demand that all the property tax be less now based on your legal rights.

Maybe you are just paying for all those undocumented slave laborers.

Some states have laws that say if your property value goes down they adjust the millage rate so you still have to pay the same in taxes.