The strengths of the property tax - The Boston Globe - The Diigo Meta page

• 23 Oct 07
  

  Yule Heibel

  cities infrastructure_funding municipal_funding property_taxes taxation

  • But for the taxpayer, this greater awareness of the amount paid in property taxes is actually a positive feature. We get the bill, and compare it with the local services we receive. If the comparison is unfavorable, we are motivated to restrict local spending and support local candidates who agree with that view. Linking additional local spending to local taxes is an important source of fiscal discipline.
  • By contrast, few taxpayers have any idea of the amount they spend annually on sales taxes. Even income taxes that are withheld from paychecks are less visible than bills that must be paid in one or two large installments every year. The transparency of the property tax allows taxpayers to be engaged and to evaluate the performance of their local government to make independent decisions on the mix of taxes and services they prefer.

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