Taxes?

[LhasaPoo]

Originally Posted by Kpt.

No, I did not see this...what jurisdiction proposed the 33% increase? .... We do not have a wheel tax...this is just a tax on vehicles registered in the county as a means of generating tax revenue....a personal property tax. One argument for the wheel tax is that it is a tax paid by those who do not own homes (like renters) but still need government services. The counter argument is that renters pay property taxes indirectly since it is part of the expense a landlord has to pay on his rental property.

I was going to suggest that it was either a) as you explained or b) tax (tacks) they used to pin "the people" down to bleed more money out of them. The latter reflects my cynical side toward government, although many years ago I took an oath to support it...and still do.

The "counter argument" reminds me of the war cry of one side of the never-ending fight about our federal income tax system (or better yet, a flat income tax), as being "regressive."

Thanks for the info.

[Tony1790]

Washington County is where the wheel tax is to start July 2008, it was on the front page of the Aug 25th edition of the Johnson City Press. It says the budget committee voted unanimously 33 cents (I had misstyped Percent originally) for an increase in property tax and they were taking the $50 wheel tax to the full county commission this week.

Anywho, I'd say that people will be in for further tax increases as less cash comes in than was planned for and taxes will be raised to compensate.

Tony

Originally Posted by Kpt.

No, I did not see this...what jurisdiction proposed the 33% increase? The tax rate in Kingsport seems to be stable and I have heard no talk of a rate increases. There was some discussion about raising the Sullivan County rate but I believe the latest is that some cuts in budget request plus drawdown of their surplus will take care of next year's budget without an increase. Modest growth of our population in Sullivan County plus a significant increase in retail establshments and new sales tax revenue should hold down the need for a tax increase.

We do not have a wheel tax...this is just a tax on vehicles registered in the county as a means of generating tax revenue....a personal property tax. One argument for the wheel tax is that it is a tax paid by those who do not own homes (like renters) but still need government services. The counter argument is that renters pay property taxes indirectly since it is part of the expense a landlord has to pay on his rental property.

[mbmouse]

Originally Posted by Tony1790

Washington County is where the wheel tax is to start July 2008, it was on the front page of the Aug 25th edition of the Johnson City Press. It says the budget committee voted unanimously 33 cents (I had misstyped Percent originally) for an increase in property tax and they were taking the $50 wheel tax to the full county commission this week.

Anywho, I'd say that people will be in for further tax increases as less cash comes in than was planned for and taxes will be raised to compensate.

Tony

The tax increase has been proposed and past the first reading, but has yet to be decided by public vote, which it has to by over 50% of the votes to be enacted. Historically, the voters have voted these increases down. For many, many years the county has put the wheel tax increase up for the vote, shot down all the time.