Harry's Gang: Property tax is a good bane

Property taxes are just too high. It’s pretty easy to start a conversation with any landowner by saying, “My property taxes are crazy high.” No one ever really argues with you about it. They’ll sympathize; they’ll commiserate; they’ll share their own “high taxes” story. But they won’t argue with you about it.

(Sometimes, though, especially on “Harry’s Gang,” I’ll say that I don’t mind paying my taxes because of all the goods and services we get in exchange for them. That usually gets a pretty good reaction from the other guests.)

It’s May 15, and the first half of our property tax payments are due today. Many people just pay a bit extra on their mortgages each month and let the bank pay the taxes, but a significant number of people crowd the auditor’s office on May 15 and October 15 (when the second half is due), waiting until the last minute to part with their hard-earned money.

Dick Brenner, my county commissioner, agrees that property taxes are high. But too high? Not really, he told me.

“Look at all the services the county provides,” Brenner said. “Look at what you get for your money. We work hard to keep the budget as low as possible, while providing excellent service in three major areas: law enforcement, transportation and social services.”

The county is also mandated by state and federal laws to provide certain services, he reminded me, but those entities don’t provide enough funding to cover the cost. So property taxes make up the difference.

People like to complain about social services, because it’s easy to resent others getting your money when you feel they don’t deserve it. It’s hard to have a lot of sympathy for a person addicted to heroin, for example. And the county spends a good chunk of money taking care of addicts. “We pay for them to visit methadone clinics, and we even pay to transport them to and from the clinic. It’s expensive,” Brenner says. “But do you want those addicts running around town committing crimes? Drug abuse is a huge problem. But we do the best we can,” he said.

I agree. I don’t like the idea of paying so much to treat heroin addicts. But I sure don’t want to ignore the drug problem and let it get out of control. It’s an investment in our community I’m willing to make.

Cops use up a lot of tax money, too. Sure, they arrest criminals. But we complain when they write us good, law-abiding folks a speeding ticket. Yet, what’s the first thing we do whenever there’s a problem? Yep, we dial 9-1-1. And they always show up when called. Always. Often within minutes. I guess that’s a service I’m willing to pay for, too.

I spend a little time as a court-appointed lawyer, in civil commitments and child support matters. Think Atticus Finch, who was court-appointed to defend an obviously innocent black man who was nevertheless found guilty and eventually shot trying to escape. Atticus Finch was a hero. He was paid by property taxes. When I am court-appointed, I’m paid less than a third my normal rate, but I consider it an honor to serve. And the people I represent? They need their rights protected … at county expense. I guess I’m OK with my tax dollars spent on preserving civil liberties.

Property taxes are used to educate my children, plow our roads, maintain the parks and many more things that affect me every day. Building inspectors keep our properties in good shape. Health inspectors keep our food and water safe. The list goes on.

Sure, I grumble every May 15 and Oct 15 when I write huge checks for my property taxes. You can vent, too, if you want to. I’ll listen. I’ll even sympathize. But I won’t necessarily agree with you.

Pete Radosevich is the publisher of the Pine Knot News and an attorney in Esko who hosts the talk show Harry’s Gang on CAT-7. He can be reached at Pete.Radosevich @PineKnotNews.com.