Not Made Of Money

Property tax bills are starting to find their way into more and more mailboxes. Have you gotten yours yet? I received mine a few months ago. While the balance due had gone up a little from last year’s amount, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it hadn’t changed very much. What about you? Did your property tax bill stay relatively level or did it fluctuate?

As long as we’re on the topic of property taxes, it occurred to me this year that not everyone understands exactly what their property taxes pay for. Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to find the answer to this mystery. To get an idea what your property taxes pay for you simply have to look at the detail on your billing statement.

Here are some examples of the types of items you might find on your statement:

Local Schools – In many instances, the largest portion of your property tax bills is earmarked for your local school district. Even if you don’t have children in school, you will still find this hefty assessment listed on your billing statement.

Libraries – Many regions are fortunate enough to have a strong library system in place. A large portion of these libraries’ support often comes from property tax assessments. So be sure to use your local library and all of its features often; you’re already paying for them.

Local Government Assessments – No, this line item doesn’t require you to pay for being a citizen of your city or county. This is how your local municipality is able to fund projects like street maintenance, aid programs, and the administration of the municipality. Sometimes, this line item lists an actual city; other times its title includes a county name. The determining factor is your address.

Emergency Services – This assessment includes funds earmarked for necessary services like fire protection. In some areas, 911 services may also be included.

Other Service Programs – This section of your billing statement lists the other social service programs that are funded through your property taxes. Here you may find things like your state’s blind pension, mental health programs, and disabled citizen programs.

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