Property Tax may sound like a dirty word, but it should be music to your ears. Unlike other taxes that fluctuate based on consumer behavior and employment levels, property taxes are fairly predictable. And predictability is exactly what you want in property tax. That’s because they pay for pretty much everything that makes your life easier in the community. From your morning commute to that family BBQ at the local park, property taxes make it all possible. Check out these Property Tax Benefits: 9 Essential Services Paid for With Your Property Tax:
#1: Fire and Ambulance Service
Most of us would agree, having a fire and ambulance service on standby is well worth the money. Because you never know when you’re house will catch fire or a visiting relative will have a heart attack, emergency services are a must-have in any society. Since property taxes tax the property not the person, you’ll never have to worry about the funds drying up. In a life threatening situation, every second and cent counts.
#2: Trash and Recycling Pickup
Admit it, you take this service for granted. Most of us wheel our garbage out to the curb and then poof, it disappears, like magic. But imagine what your neighborhood would look like if those garbage magicians didn’t exist. Without easy trash pick-up, you’d actually have to drive your garbage to the local dump. Only there wouldn’t be a dump, because property taxes didn’t pay for it. While you may pay a little extra for the door service, your taxes make sure there’s a place to take the trash. So be grateful for the disappearing act and grateful your property taxes pay for it.
#3: School Funding
Even if you don’t have kids in the local school system, your property taxes are still supporting the schools in the area. This is a good thing. The more support the local schools receive, the better the overall economy. Because kids don’t stay kids forever. They eventually grow up, get jobs and become home owners themselves. If they receive a quality education from the beginning, they’re more likely to stay in the area and help pay for the other services you do use on a regular basis. Consider it the tax circle of life.
#4: Police Protection
When you think of police, you may only think of the speeding ticket you got last month. But what about when a burglar breaks in? Or when your child goes missing? Police offer plenty of services that help keep the peace, build cooperation between citizens, and ultimately bring you peace of mind that someone’s got your back. And it’s all thanks to your property taxes.
#5: Road Maintenance
Ever been driving to work and hit a pot hole? Yeah, us too. Well thanks to your property taxes, there’s a road maintenance crew dedicated to fixing that pot hole. Or how about the lines in the road. Have you ever wondered who paints and maintains those so you and other drivers stay in the lanes? Yep, that’s all been accounted for when your property taxes go toward road maintenance.
#6: Safe drinking water
We love a good bottled water as much as the next guy, but having access to safe drinking water in the comfort of our own home can’t be beat. This is made possible by the taxes that go to the facility that tests local drinking water on a regular basis and makes sure you’re getting what you pay for. Nothing but the best for hard working homeowners.
#7: Sewage Treatment
Now we know you don’t think about this service on a daily basis. But trust us, this one would seriously stink (literally) if it were to go unfunded. This service makes sure whatever you flush, stays gone for good. Thanks to the removing of contaminants from household wastewater, we can all sleep easy knowing our number twos aren’t wreaking havoc on the environment.
#8: Parks and Green Space Maintenance
Another service we take for granted. But the construction and then upkeep of our local parks is a perk most of us benefit from. Whether you host a birthday party or simply take your dog for a walk, the fact that the trails are clear, the litter is picked up and the parking lot is paved are all thanks to your property taxes. So frolic with abandon. You deserve it.
#9: Animal Control
Ever come across a stray dog? How about a feral cat? Or maybe your neighbor’s dog barks at all hours of the night. If you’ve ever had to deal with a nuissance animal in any capacity, you know how important animal control is. You also know that you’ve never received a bill for picking up that stray or helping you remove a possum from your yard. You can thank you property taxes for that.
So now you know the 9 Essential Services Paid for With Your Property Tax. Remember, property taxes are set by local governments and voted in by area residents. When proposed taxes aren’t raised to meet funding costs, then services must be cut. In short, which of the above services could you live without? This is where growth to an area comes in. When new residential plans come to your area, this creates a growing tax base. A growing tax base helps spread the tax load over more tax payers, thus keeping property taxes down without cutting services.
Don’t yet have a property to pay taxes on? Well you’re in luck. We just so happen to be in the business of selling property.