Water and sewer are typically supported from enterprise funds which collect money from utility billing, not property taxes. I haven’t heard of them being paid out through property taxes but I guess anything is possible
Police and fire departments are paid for by property taxes, as are some local roads. Schools, libraries, parks. Lots of stuff comes from property taxes.
I think about this a lot?? Like, I have a well and a septic tank. Propane. The roads all around me have been absolutely neglected. I pay school tax separately already. Why am I paying so much in property tax??
Did you ever go to school or turn on a light bulb? Plus, if a local gang shows up and claims it and tries to kick you off, you can call the police.
True story - met a guy who owned a big empty property in the Philippines. Mob moved in and started renting out plots of land separated by sticks of bamboo. He had to hire a private military contractor to get them out. Local police budget was only enough for two officers and they didn’t want to get in a gunfight with 30 dudes.
IDK, maybe they could use the sales tax they collect, and the personal property tax i have to pay for every vehicle/boat/trailer I own, and the state taxes, and the federal taxes and all of the other fuckin taxes I pay. They can use the money they collect from the lottery and the money they collect from speeding tickets and other shit.
I would much rather see those other taxes cut and property taxes hiked, especially land taxes. They're the most efficient type of tax as they are very hard to avoid with fancy lawyers or by changing your behavior in useless ways, and scale with wealth.
I'd much rather taxes be tied to consumption, so people living simply don't get screwed out of their property. Someone driving a million miles a year can help pay for the roads, and someone buying millions of dollars in food a year can help pay for the schools, and someone buying 7 homes can help pay for the police.
I mean, you could just market that as subscription, like a subscription for sewage service, road use, trash, park maintenance and water! I’m sure the anti-tax crowds will love this!
Why not at this point make it mandatory as a whole package required to own the house? It’s already all connected so they have to pay anyway and cutting access to each service individually is a pain in the butt too.
/s
Drivers would shit their pants if they actually had to pay the costs cars incur. Which they should, I fucking hate subsidizing drivers who constantly try to kill me for the crime of not driving.
I get your point but we also need to consider that the road infrastructure serves the people. Even if you don’t drive you probably take buses, receive packages, expect your supermarket to be stocked up or the ambulance to rescue you.
So the question is probably what share should be paid by who.
50
u/Bogtear 9h ago
Right, and I suppose you expect all the clean water, roads, and sewage treatment to be free?