Been thinkin' about.....property taxes

Property taxes have been around, in one form or another, for at least a thousand years. Kings, Parliaments and County Commissioners have consistently used REAL PROPERTY as a foundation for revenue. Tax collectors can see it, touch it, and then estimate its value in the marketplace. Four problems are: accurate estimates of value; cost of collection; frequency of collection, and the value of provided services. I have long believed that estimated property taxes have no place providing revenue for modern public services.

When I pay a state and local sales tax I know that I’m paying some percentage based upon the price of the goods or services. Why can’t I pay for my county and city services the same way? I already pay my water bill each month. Why can’t I pay a monthly garbage, recycling and yard waste bill? I pay monthly for home security. Why can’t I pay monthly for police and fire  protection? Why can’t I pay a school tax so I know what’s coming out of my pocket for county education? I already pay my automobile property tax when my registration is renewed so it’s a small step to call that an "Vehicle Owners Fee." I’ll bet that if everyone paid a "Street Tax" there wouldn't be any Speed Humps and you could have a tag on the front bumper that advertised your home town.

People who live on farms have a well for water, a septic tank for waste, no one picks up their garbage, recyclables or yard waste, fires are handled by volunteers, roads are patrolled by the state yet they have to pay a county property tax on their land even when their crops fail.

Fifty years ago North Carolinians paid a property tax on Household Personal Property. Things like the bed you slept on, the corner cabinet you inherited from your grandmother, even your engagement ring! The General Assembly got rid of that onerous property tax and future assemblies can get rid of the whole system. Our 2025 Assembly wants to curtail huge annual increases in the annual property taxes on the value of homes and has put a constitutional amendment on the 2026 ballot. If you are a betting person, put your money on the passage of this amendment.

Organizations that depend upon the property tax, such as the NC League of Municipalities, the NC Association of County Commissioners and the NC Institute of Government, beat the drum of the "Three Cornered Stool" for public financing…Income Tax, Sales Tax and Property Tax. Yet nine states have no income tax, Oregon has no sales tax and Montana, Delaware and New Hampshire have none at the state level. Clearly, it is possible to have adequately funded public services without an estimated tax on property.

TRANSPARENCY is the political word of this decade that is appropriate for debates over the property tax. Taxpayers should know what their local taxes are buying and should be able to make informed, voting decisions about the return of value. We make informed decisions every day in super markets, in restaurants, at filling stations, and retail businesses…why not public services? If you don’t believe you’re getting your moneys’ worth, vote 'em out of office!