1,2,3 GO!!...
The push is on by a lot of folks to convince the Indiana Legislature to pass the Constitutional caps on property taxes, one of the steps necessary to allow the caps to go before the voters in 2010, and possibly become permanent. The proposed caps would limit property taxes to 1% of the assessed valuation of owner occupied homes, 2% of that value on rental properties, and 3% of that value on business properties.
A lot of folks think it's a good idea, and I suppose some limitation on taxes is better than no limitation on taxes. But.... some neighbors over in Henry County have received their new property assessment values. One farmer reports that the assessed value of all of his properties has increased over the last assessment. Another farmer reports that a grain bin he built for $3500.00 several years ago is now assessed at $14,000.00.
It's not to much of a stretch to imagine that even with the caps in place, the assessed values of homes, rentals and businesses will be increased to meet the growing appetite of government, supplementing the new and increased state and local taxes that were implemented to replace the supposedly lower property taxes.
Property taxes allow the government to seize your home.
The government couldn't make them fair even if it tried.
Or even if it wanted to.
It's past time we eliminated them.
A lot of folks think it's a good idea, and I suppose some limitation on taxes is better than no limitation on taxes. But.... some neighbors over in Henry County have received their new property assessment values. One farmer reports that the assessed value of all of his properties has increased over the last assessment. Another farmer reports that a grain bin he built for $3500.00 several years ago is now assessed at $14,000.00.
It's not to much of a stretch to imagine that even with the caps in place, the assessed values of homes, rentals and businesses will be increased to meet the growing appetite of government, supplementing the new and increased state and local taxes that were implemented to replace the supposedly lower property taxes.
Property taxes allow the government to seize your home.
The government couldn't make them fair even if it tried.
Or even if it wanted to.
It's past time we eliminated them.
Labels: Constitutional Caps, Property taxes
posted by Rex Bell at 1:14 PM
4 Comments:
Rex:
I am with you up until a certain point and I am hoping you can explain. I agree that government, or the community, should be able to seize ones property for failing to pay property taxes. However, without a property tax system how would a rural community operate their “government” school, pay the sheriff and maintain roads, for instance, when there is not a sufficient amount sales tax revenue collected (assuming this is how taxes are collected) from commercial and retail businesses?
meant to say "should not be able"
Brian,
In my opinion, road building, maintenance, and policing should be funded by road use taxes that we pay when we buy fuel.
Education and police protection should be funded by a set percentage of the sales tax, with fire protection funded by a combination of a percentage of the sales tax and user fees.
This of course assumes that education would actually be limited to education.
Rex;
Thanks for the response. I think the police could also apply a usage fee on calls that are non-emergency related. When I lived in Germany there was a 50 mark charge for all calls.
It would be interesting to compare the numbers of a given county to determine the sales tax rate in order remove a property tax.
Thanks for the reply.
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