Spread tax burden more evenly

February is almost upon us which means we will have another opportunity to vote for the new school bond.

Recently, we received notice from the County Assessor’s office that our property taxes are going up again. And, if the school bond passes, we will have another increase in these taxes.

In 1978 the voters in Los Angeles County, Calif. passed Proposition 13, reducing tax rates on houses, businesses and farms by about 57 percent. If Washington state continues increasing our property taxes we will soon reach a situation similar to the problems California voters were faced with in 1978.

The continued increase in property taxes presents a difficult dilemma for all of us. We all want the very best schools we can afford and most of us are more than willing to pay what we can to reach this goal. However, many feel the cost should be shared with homeowners and renters equally. To place the entire burden on the homeowner is not just. Theoretically, the landlord will increase the renter’s cost to cover their portion of the increased taxes. In most cases, though, the landlord is tied to a lease where they are unable to increase the rent until the lease period has ended. This places an additional burden on the property owner.

If the cost of the new school bond was shared equally between the homeowner, as well as the renter, it would cost half as much for each household. Many feel the bond would have a greater chance of passing if the cost was shared by all.

Shari Laibl

Moses Lake