A huge percentage of taxes we pay at a local level, are driven by demands from the Feds. You can't fight local taxes without fighting Fed mandates.
As much a I hate to partially agree with celtictexan, I'd venture to say that, in Amarillo, almost all local taxes are driven by federal mandates. The City Commission is so irrationally attached to low tax rates that they do almost nothing they don't have to. Yeah, property values do seem to be inflated, probably to keep those rates low, but frankly Amarilloans have little to complain about regarding local taxes. They should be complaining that the city can't even keep Georgia-- one of the most heavily traveled streets in town-- in decent condition.
Guess you haven't heard - Amarillo is uneffected by the housing bubble. Just a little Al Franken joke.
The City Commission is so irrationally attached to low tax rates that they do almost nothing they don't have to.
And that would be a good thing.
Yeah, property values do seem to be inflated, probably to keep those rates low
Huh?
I own a 1.5 acre lot. Property tax went from $75 a year to $245 this year. Haven't gone down to bitch yet, but probably won't do any good anyway. Car tags went up about $25 a car too. I have 5 cars. I suspect this is just all a minor bump compared to what's coming, with all the new crap from the Fed.
Celtic get yourself a log cabin, some fire wood, and a dog, cause those are about the only things out there that are already subsidised by government spending. Turn off your lights, sell your car, stop using the roads, stop shopping at the stores(damn farm subsidies), stop drinking the water, stop flushing the toilet, stop calling the cops if you have a problem,
ETC...
Or pay your taxes and stop whining like a five-year0-old. From what you say you're doing pretty well financially. I bet you drive the biggest most gas guzzling vehicle you can hitch a trailer to and get three miles a gallon in.
While admit we need to ensure our tax money is spent prudentley the points brought up here are wrong. As a city employee non management type. We have a difficult time with retention. Our saleries are lower than most municipalities for the same job. And here is a fact most of you don't know
the city cut all budgets 2% and we will not be getting a raise next year. This includes fire and police.
....and the city just bought a 70,000 dollar Terrist Fightin' Bus... They wisely canceled the incinerating toilet - not because it was way to expensive - but because it could only BBQ one dump every 40 minutes. (Guess they thought, I know I'm going to be shitting in the Blaster Bus all the time... like way more often than that!)
Meanwhile celtic is the closest thing we have to a terrorist - and he simply doesn't have the balls to follow through - never will.
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