The underlying premise of a fair property tax is that it should be based on the value of the property.

If the tax assessor is doing his job, there is no need for a reassessment. The building inspector would supply adjusted values of new homes built and adjustment to individual homes square footage and other ratable.

Basically, a valuation increase does not necessarily translate into higher taxes if the percentage spending by the town remains the same. Property valuations on the local tax rolls are supposed to reflect what the property is worth on the open market.

If valuations are inaccurate and out of date the result is unfairness. Why should you pay more property taxes than a neighbor with an almost identical home just because the assessor hasn’t got around to updating your neighbor’s property assessment?

The problem lies with the tax assessor. It doesn’t make sense to order an expensive blanket revaluation for a whole town because of a lazy tax assessor. This argument breaks down to saving a few hundred dollars as opposed to spending 100’s of thousands or millions for larger blanket reassessments.

Most towns don’t have the guts to fire a usually political appointed staff person. Maybe they feel their perks; fat health care packages and entitlements are threatened. State and local unions should be structured like construction unions. If you can’t do the job or if the boss don’t like you, you’re fired. You don’t get paid. A replacement is found until the job is run properly.

Valuation increases provide a tempting opportunity for elected officials in charge of spending decisions. Ideally, elected officials should reduce property tax rates substantially to compensate for the increase in valuation.

Spend and tax politicians love a blanket property revaluation. As housing prices increase the total valuation is higher. With the same tax rate there is a ton to spend – so they reduce the taxes a little. By this gimmick they boast that they cut tax rates all the while the property taxes you pay go up.
Reducing you overall tax burden unfortunately does not happen. More often it’s like this. New York State local property taxes increased 42% from 2000 to 2005 or more than three times the rate of inflation. New York State, it seems, will not cut services or rein in spending; the taxpayer is doomed to never ending increases in property taxes.

What we need are real rollback in tax rates and not a spineless status quo cadre of bureaucrats spending our money like it is free water.

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