The Bucket and Property Taxes

Two hundred years ago, everyone owned a leather bucket for one purpose only – to put out fires. Back then we were all volunteer firefighters and if our neighbor’s home went up in flames, the community came together. We did not have a tax funded fire department, yet we did have those who came together with buckets to help.

Today, we have a tax-funded professional fire department.

Well, hold on. Tallahassee is talking about doing away with property taxes and these taxes fund not only our roads, police, libraries, and parks but, of course, our firefighters. Getting rid of property taxes means we could see buckets coming back in fashion.

The current political temperature is cut, cut and cut some more. The current political mantra is government spending is government wasting. Ask ten people and nine will say they do not want to pay taxes. It’s like taxes are the plague. Don’t give them to me. We live in a society which wants the benefits of taxes just not the cost of them. Maybe we need a new mindset.

My mother always said, “you pay for what we get.” No taxes mean no services. In fact, without property taxes, Lake County’s government budget would be cut in half. Imagine paying to check out a library book, renting the baseball field for your kid to play league ball, Venmo-ing the fire department before they arrive at your burning house. Taxes fund police officers, paved roads, cool libraries, beautiful parks and a fire depart that arrives within three minutes. Do we want to give that up?

So, what are the options?

1. Eliminate property taxes for those over 65 years old. That is good for seniors yet puts the tax burden on the Millennials, X, Y and Z Generations. If Millennials don’t like Boomers now, they certainly will.

2. Eliminate property taxes if you own your home for at least 10 years. The good is less taxes for most of us yet there is a big tax burden put on those who are first time homeowners.

3. Increase Homestead Exemption to $200,000. This plan is one of the most promising because it decreases taxes for most across the board.

4. Freeze property taxes at purchase with a 1-3% increase depending on inflation every year. One caveated is property taxes go back to the original purchase cost each year. Yes, another promising option. In fact, you see this option working in other states as well.

A complete cut in property taxes will do one of two things. One, it cuts all services and forces us to carry around buckets again. Or two, it pushes us to increase taxes elsewhere.

Here are three options:

1. Increase tolls on non-Florida residents.

2. Increase the tourism tax and allow this tax to be used on non-tourism services, like fire and police, which puts the burden on tourists instead of residents.

3. Increase consumption tax which puts an undue burden on lower income communities.

Or we can all spend $4.99 for one bucket or $8 for two at Tractor Supply. At least we will have buckets to hold the water for fires yet probably not a community with an appetite to put them out.

Farmer Banks Helfrich teaches gardening monthly at Florida Blue Clermont and on his seven-acre farm which includes 15 different instructional gardens. Farm tours are every 2nd Sunday. Call Banks for more information on 407-616-9720.