The Golden State’s War on Itself (crime, employment)

[hoffdano]

One important fact about Texas property taxes that many do not know (or forget) is that our property taxes are 100% local. There is no such thing as a state property tax in Texas. It is un-constitutional.

My property taxes are about 1.9% of appraised value (in theory its market value). Those taxes fund my local school district, the county government, utilities, and a few other miscellaneous functions. If I lived in the city of Austin I would pay more (closer to 2.5%).

I don't like paying my property tax bill any more than anyone else. But I dislike it less because I know where the money is going - and can vote to influence how it is spent near me.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

One important fact about Texas property taxes that many do not know (or forget) is that our property taxes are 100% local. There is no such thing as a state property tax in Texas. It is un-constitutional.

My property taxes are about 1.9% of appraised value (in theory its market value). Those taxes fund my local school district, the county government, utilities, and a few other miscellaneous functions. If I lived in the city of Austin I would pay more (closer to 2.5%).

I don't like paying my property tax bill any more than anyone else. But I dislike it less because I know where the money is going - and can vote to influence how it is spent near me.

California used to operate like that... the Serrano Decision took local tax money for schools out of many districts...

The electorate responded by limiting taxes without voter approval.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

California used to operate like that... the Serrano Decision took local tax money for schools out of many districts...

The electorate responded by limiting taxes without voter approval.

Whose idea was it to fund schools with property taxes, anyways? This appears to be common in many places in the US.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by majoun

Whose idea was it to fund schools with property taxes, anyways? This appears to be common in many places in the US.

I don't know... perhaps because good schools translate into more desirable real estate?

The State taking money from local school districts to redistribute to others... often many hundreds of miles away, is what changed education forever in California...

My father taught in a Public High School... it was his belief that schools should be locally funded...

It is far easier to make the case locally when the people footing the bill can see the tangible results... and this was the case prior to Serrano.

[KC6ZLV]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

One important fact about Texas property taxes that many do not know (or forget) is that our property taxes are 100% local. There is no such thing as a state property tax in Texas. It is un-constitutional.

My property taxes are about 1.9% of appraised value (in theory its market value). Those taxes fund my local school district, the county government, utilities, and a few other miscellaneous functions. If I lived in the city of Austin I would pay more (closer to 2.5%).

I don't like paying my property tax bill any more than anyone else. But I dislike it less because I know where the money is going - and can vote to influence how it is spent near me.

Property taxes in California stay within the county they are collected in, so they are very much local here too.

http://ucce-plumas-sierra.ucdavis.edu/files/44909.pdf (broken link)

[KC6ZLV]

Originally Posted by majoun

But in the case of California the low property taxes did play a big role in jacking up prices. Texas' high property taxes, and the high property taxes in some Eastern states as well, prevented a bubble from developing, which worked out to their favor.

So, you are trying to say people are willing to pay $200,000 more for a house in California than in some other location to save about $8000 in taxes?

There wouldn't be any financial benefit to paying that much more for real estate for lower property taxes unless someone intended to stay in the house for 20+. That is really an exception today.

[sjnative]

Another CA-basing thread. We didn't have too many? Well, RenaudFR needed to have one too. It made him/her/it feel better.

If it weren't for CA-bashing, what would people bash? I'm sure they'd find something because a life without bashing.. is pointless.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

One important fact about Texas property taxes that many do not know (or forget) is that our property taxes are 100% local. There is no such thing as a state property tax in Texas. It is un-constitutional.

Yeah, too much money flows through Sacramento and as a result all the parasites swarm over it.

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by KC6ZLV

Property taxes in California stay within the county they are collected in, so they are very much local here too.

http://ucce-plumas-sierra.ucdavis.edu/files/44909.pdf (broken link)

I just learned something. Very nice document though it seems a bit dated on the current total rates - no?

[Ultralight]

Originally Posted by majoun

Whose idea was it to fund schools with property taxes, anyways? This appears to be common in many places in the US.

Who knows but it was a bad idea especialy in California becouse we seen the effects of property tax caps on schoolfunding in the state ever since prop13 was implemented Californias ones renowed educations system has greatly deteriorated along side other local governements services.
Instead funding for local government has been more and more centralized away from local government funding towards state governments bailout funding of local governments who thanks to prop13 restrictions are not able to to collect enough of tax revenues to fund them self.