There are many opinions circling around the property tax issue. Unfortunately, all of them seem to be derived from the narrow perspective of how it affects the individual offering the opinion.
The opposition is also coming from the narrow perspective of the small town. Cities and some Counties have been quoted as declaring that they will be unable to pay the bills. Smaller towns would be forced into the position of relying on county or state grants.
Looking past that outcome, consider that County finances, and many special districts such as the Water Management Districts, also depend to some degree on property taxes. The logical conclusion is that the State will need to subsidize the city, county, and special districts.
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Now consider this. Despite all the maneuvering, the sum total of expenditures does not change. The State derives its funding from the people and from Federal Programs. The Federal Programs derive funding from the people. The conclusion is that the total tax burden will not dwindle.
The financial pipeline running from the people up to State and Federal offices and back to the City will have more stops along the way with more hands on the collection and distribution. More hands means more people, program offices, and regulations.
The logical expectation is that the total tax burden will increase. Should the Property Tax be eliminated, our individual perception of a lower tax burden will grow right along with the actual tax burden. The solution to high property tax is in the ballot box, not in abdicating control over how local programs are funded.
About The Author: Thomas R. Cuba, Ph.D.
Raised a simple Missouri farm boy, Tom managed to attend a British Prep School before commencing a college career that would culminate in a Doctorate Degree in Marine Ecology. He also served as an Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Navy, and as a scoutmaster, SCUBA instructor, Wilderness Survival Instructor, and Firearms Instructor.
Tom has worked as an ecologist in both government and private practice, as well as a freelance nature photographer and computer programmer.
Now, a father and grandfather, Tom offers life lessons in the form of stories about the challenges people face and conquer as well as socio-political essays. To that end, his first lesson is always his favorite quote. “Failure is the whetstone of success.” ~ T. Leith Rettie, 1884.
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