The county finally got around to sending this year’s property tax bill, only a month or so late. They’re so close on the deadline that I’ll have to transfer the money out of savings instantly and ship off a check this weekend; otherwise I’ll be delinquent.
The tab: $2,058.86. Now…yes, I do realize that compared to property taxes in certain Midwestern and Eastern Seaboard states, this is as nothing. (But let’s remember: the educational system and other accouterments of a civil society are also as nothing here.) Compared to last year’s tab, it’s exactly $20 less.
That’s surprising. SDXB’s tax bill, which is rock bottom because his part of Sun City was never gerrymandered into a school district, rose by fifty bucks this year.
Everyone’s bill was jacked up, despite the large cut in property valuation occasioned by the busted real estate bubble, because our cash-strapped “no tax-and-spend” state legislators revived a defunct state property tax. So even though our valuations are in the sub-basement, where they belong, our taxes are just as high as they were at the height of the bubble.
We won’t comment on what they buy. Oh, what the heck…yes, we will: vast layoffs of state workers, grade school classes with 50 kids in them, reduced forces of emergency workers, closed museums, reduced library hours…all manifestations of a Killed Beast.
I’m grateful to get a bill that’s no higher than last year’s. Next year, it should drop considerably, because of various political promises to undo this, that, and the other device to raise funds. But by then, property values will have risen closer to normal, providing another reason to raise the tax bill.
Don’t mind paying taxes if we get some value received…but just now, that doesn’t seem to be happening. My two thousand bucks could keep a state worker on the payroll a good month (maybe more). Taken together, everyone on this block could keep her working a year or 18 months. So…let’s see that happen, boys!