Reader comments
Lawmakers may head off revolt over property taxes

It is time to change and put a cap on property taxes!! Valuations and property taxes are out of control!

I have a suggestion for Mr. Pigget. I'm happy to pay extra property tax while my children are in school. Just one caveat. Let me opt out of paying into a social security system that has provided for Mr. Pigget for the last 19 years and will not be around when I retire.

The archaic notion that cities and counties have the right to assess taxes based on property values should be illegal; it oppresses the property owner, dumps huge windfalls of dollars into schools and cities regardless of need, and creates hardships for those who bought their home ten or twenty or thirty years ago, are now retired, and are left with only one option to pay their property taxes--sell the house.

Something is wrong with this picture. I challenge the school districts (who receive the lions share of property taxes) to justify their windfall. They will never be able to. It's a system that needs to be exposed.

When a city grows, additional homes and businesses are built and additional revenue is automatically generated to accommodated growth, new schools, more teachers; there is absolutely no need to say, "well, property values have gone up, let's reassess and look at all the money we'll get."

Someone needs to take the system to court and have the whole scam thrown out.

Our assessments were affected by corrupt appraisals, etc. PLEASE DO SOMETHING so we're not taxed for someone else's criminal acts!

My taxes in Layton went up 32% this year. This is a simple abuse of the tax system. I do not live extravicantly - no 4 wheelers, trailors, boats, second homes, never owned a new car. My wife and I have never traveled to Hawaii. I make a good income - yet still do not have any wiggle room financially to support my family.

This tax increase forces me into making some massive decisions - such as do I now have to sell my home to support my family. And I have it far better than many. I don't know what the elderly will do on their fixed incomes!

Property taxes should never go up more than the annual rate for cost of living. Those over 65 should have a frozen tax rate - unless they sell their home and have their rate set on their new residence value. These are reasonable standards for overseeing tax increases.

WHEN IS ENOUGH, ENOUGH REGARDING WHAT IS BEING REQUIRED AS A TAX BURDEN!

Skimp on infrastructure, schools, and government (assessments). Sounds like the tax bird is coming home to roost..

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think I should pay for increased assessments over and above what I paid for the property, unless I sell. There's a little system in some agriculture arenas called "Greenbelt" wherein property holders pay reduced property tax on lands used for agriculture. If the "use" changes, then they pay "rollback" taxes for the previous five years. Why can't I pay taxes based upon purchase price and make up a difference IF I ever sell? Better yet, why not charge me additional sales tax based upon the current price of bread and milk for the purchases I've made of these products in years past when they cost less? That would certainly add to the tax revenues and make as much sense as escalating property values which are only realized if a person sells the land.

These taxes along with income tax are all illegal anyway. They should have NEVER been created nor should we allow them to continue.

Down with illegal taxation!!!

Taxes should only be based on what the house sold for. We should not be paying taxes based on what someone things our house is worth. Will the counties reimburse a homeowner who sells the house for less than the assessor guessed it might be worth? No way, they will keep the money. The assessment of a house should be solely based on what the homeowner paid for the house and any additions they may add. There should be a modest 2% increase in the valuation of the house each year, and when houses depreciate during a recession the taxes should go back down in the same amount and when the houses go back up then they can use the 2% increase again based on the new value. It is time that taxpayers simply inundate their legislators to change the system, and if they don't vote in new ones who will listen. DO IT NOW OR LOOSE YOUR HOMES.

It's a shame that the previous comment was under the heading "Anonymous." I for one am proud to proclaim the same thing -- Property Taxes are an inherently corrupt and vile attack on liberty and the free market.

There are, however, two reasonable options.
1. Remove property tax completely, and replace it with a sales tax (on all non-food items). Everyone pays their fair share. You buy more, you pay more. You responsible save, you pay less.

2. If it is property taxes that are required to run a government, let those with property have the vote. Simply require a proof of property ownership to get into the voting booth. (If this isn't sounding rather archaic and dangerous -- perhaps you should read your history:)

The salient fact is: Any time you punish a populace for gaining wealth and property (this includes cars) you hinder free trade of wealth, thus making it more difficult on those trying to obtain it. And I personally would liek to see everyone become wealthy. (Good luck in this system though)

Put a cap on it--3-4 percent per year increase.

The $2.9 billion hypothetical price tag on Huntsville illustrates the fallacy of current property tax assessments.

Those assessments place a market value on a hypothetical sale of each property.

But if all properties were put on the market at the same time, the market value of real property would be lower ... because there would be a surplus of property for sale.

But current assessments are based on a market value established from only a few homes selling in a neighborhood, not all of them at the same time.

Over almost any 30-year period, housing values increase at a rate of about 6%. That should be the maximum rate for year-to-year tax increases. Then, when a property's title changes hands or when a property undergoes changes (construction), have it appraised to ensure the property's taxes are still in line. A system like this would save tax dollars by avoiding appraisals and studies to adjust property taxes every few years. It would also save city governments a lot of headaches because when we have a spike in property values it won't spike the tax and won't cause everyone to freak out.

Scott Leishman.. I could not agree with you more! However, there is one issue that needs to be addressed; some of our property tax goes to pay for Police/Fire/Ambulance. While I totally agree that there should NEVER be a tax on property, there needs to be a way that these services are paid for.

My house was assesed four years ago when I built it. My taxes were 1900 then and now they have jumped to 2950. Thats over a 50% increase in 4 years and my salary has only gone up 5% in that time period. Inflation has been low but taxes seem to be way out of whack. The County seems to have timed their valuations at the peak of the housing bubble and prices have already begun to drop. Our elected officials need to take a close look at this and protect us from these unreasonable and unfair practices. If you also add to this soaring health costs, doubled gas prices, and higher insurance rates and it seems that everyone is trying to squeeze every last cent from you. They don't care if you have enough left to buy food and other necessities, it's only about who can take your money first.

By the way, I live in Utah County.

I don't know what all the fuss is about. There are appeals processes in place if you feel like you are really improperly valued. Some kind of tax freeze for seniors also seems appropriate. however, Utah is in the lowest 1/3 in the nation for property tax rate (number 34 out of 50). Utah is also consistently at the bottom for per pupil funding in schools.

As a long-time resident of Utah who has moved to two different states within the past couple of years, I have seen a huge difference in both my tax bill (which is nearly double the rate of Utah in both states that I have lived in) and the quality of my children's education (which is far superior in terms of class size, grade level expectations, test scores, etc). Perhaps there is a correlation.

Be grateful that you have gotten off easy in the past and look forward to improved services in the future.

Does anyone realize that the majority of the property taxes go towards funding our public schools and that Utah is 51st in the nation in its funding of public schools. If we start limiting property taxes now where is the funding for our schools going to come from. Already our children are attending schools in inadequate facilities with pay for Utah teachers at embarassing levels. Property values do not follow a standard 2-3% per year increase, they ebb and flow with often dramatic results. It is likely in the next 5-10 years we will see a minimal increase in property values, stagnation of property tazxes and an even more critical shortage for public education. Rushing to action that will have serious negative repurcussions years down the road is unsound and a pandering to the anti-tax movement.

you should pay taxes based on your worth, and your income. How is a 70 year old on a fixed income to pay for the increase in property taxes that has tripled?

Clearly, something is wrong with this system that penalizes stability and fixed income persons trying to remain in their houses. As my neighbors and I discussed these issues an interesting proposal surfaced.

We agreed that developers and speculators drive up the value of properties and seem to have the dollars to do that.

Consequently, let them pay the bill.

Utah Property Taxes should be entirely replaced as a local government revenue source with a significant real estate transfer tax.