Reader comments
Property tax hikes are fewer this year

My question is, with property values dropping, how can they justify "Tax Hikes" on homes and property? If you house was worth $313,000 and now it's worth $287,000, how is you have a tax hike? How about a "Tax" decline? Talk about the wicked King raising taxes on the poor people??? This is like the chicken farmer who had to give the king 1 chick out of every ten born. Hard times hit and suddenly the King says, ok, I know things are hard out there in chicken hatching land, but I need two chicks out every 5 born! Next it will be TWO OUT OF THREE!

The Problem is LAZYNESS and Slothfulness! Everyone wants all the PERKS, but doesn't want to have to pay the piper! Cut the garbage pick-up, take it to the dumpsters at the city dump, that would save tax money, Organize Park Mowing that would save some money! Cut hours at the Library, tighten your belts cities and towns and counties and say, WE NEED YOUR HELP CITIZENS!!! We have become so prideful and selfish as a nation. BALANCE THE BUDGET and GO WITHOUT like the rest of us!

I wish we had more citizens like CougarKeith.

Seriously how can everyone I know have their house values go down and yet all of us had our property tax go up? Um did ya hear there is a recession going on? Many of us are getting laid off and furloughed....so we can't really afford TAX INCREASES! Less gov't is the solution, not more. We want less taxes, we want less government.

Oh yeah how about we change the insane taxation mentality in this country of: It's our moral obligation to do this and that so lets TAX ( aka force people) to support this. That is forced charity! Instead lower taxes and inform citizens that its their moral obligation to be charitable. You'd be surprised how many would donate to support those truly deserving and in need. Now that is TRUE CHARITY. However we have an illness in our gov't which prefers forced charity instead of true charity.

In closing:

CUT OUR TAXES, CUT OUR SERVICES, OR WE WILL CUT YOU LOUSY POLITICIANS OUT OF OFFICE!

I can see how it's frustrating cougs, but if you feel like your house's value is being unfairly assessed than you can dispute it. My home's "taxable value" according to the county is well below market value, which is the case most of the time.

Most tax increases come from cities and special districts like schools and fire departments raising their tax rates, not from changes in assesment values.

I would not take my own trash to the dump because I only pay the city about $10 a month to do it for me and if we left it up to citizens to be responsible for disposing of their own solid waste, things might get a little trashy. No pun intended. Have you ever been to a third world country? I think they rely on citizens to take care of most of the municipal services we enjoy.

This article is absolute spin.

When property values go down, but government revenues stay the same, THEN IT'S STILL A TAX HIKE.

If people's incomes and property values go down, then government revenues also need to drop.

The tax ratcheting system that's in place now insulates the government from the plight of it's citizens and that is always bad.

No matter what happens in the economy, government revenues either stay the same or increase. I wish I could do that with my own income.

all of us in salt lake county are going to pay for the east side split, so they can be better than the people on the west side of town. they can say that they paying more than they should but a lot of the schools were there before it became the rich area it is now. look at old pictures from the 80s there almost was no Draper. Riverton and west joradan south JORDAN, WERE THERE.

Did you read the article? "Tax rates before the split were about $846 on $250,000 home,or more than the districts (Canyons & Jordan) are charging now on a similar home." But please don't let the all of the people in Salt Lake County know that of the nearly $300 million in bonds nearly 98% is going to the west side and the east side will continue to pay for 57% of the bond costs.

Any tax on residentual property is immoral. It should be abolished. Cut every government agency to balance the budget. By the way, property tax amoubts to double taxation. George Washington and others fought a bloody war because of this unfair principle. Wake up Americans.

Unbridled taxing abilities by counties is out of control and the politicians don't care nor do they listen. I have a small parcel of land that I bought 5 years ago in hopes of building on. We had to change the zoning to start the process. Taxes went up from about a dollar per acre to about $150.00 per acre. I thought that was bad for vacant unimproved land that doesn't even have utilities close to it. Last year they raised it to almost $800.00 per acre. I appealed and they laughed at me. This year with no changes to the property and declining value, they want just under $3,000.00 per acre. I went to the assessors office to ask why such an increase and they just laughed again. I tried to talk to our legislator and he won't even respond. Talk about taxation without representation and unmanageable tax increases. Even if it were right how can people budget for such outlandish 400 and 500% increases each year. I feel that there needs to be some maximum that they can increase taxes on property when there is no change. Help!