Inside Mesa

Property Tax RealityThere has been much said regarding the proposed property tax on the ballot next week. Since I am new to this Blog I want to share a piece I wrote as it appeared on the opinion page of the Mesa Tribune:Taking One For The TeamIt is a necessary evil, part of life that we cannot escape. It is the gas that runs the machine, I am referring to Taxes. Here in my hometown of Mesa Arizona we are being asked to vote on a new tax, a property tax. Now, I am no fan of taxes and last year I wrote a piece on July 17th called "Taxapalooza" in that piece I detailed some of the taxes that we pay. It is my opinion that taxes are killing us, slowly choking the life out of us.That being said, I find myself in a rather awkward position. I realize that taxes are necessary; I am not some Pollyanna who thinks that this country can survive without a contribution from every citizen. My only beef has been the insidious ways that politicians have gone after a piece of every dollar that we earn. On May 16th we will be asked to vote on two questions that if we answer in the affirmative we will be giving the green light to establish a property tax here in Mesa Arizona. What the citizens here have to determine is whether or not this is just another attempt by those in office to get at even more of the money that we earn or is this necessary to stabilize a city in crisis?Mesa is an interesting town, not a little town or a bustling metropolis but something in between. I love it here; I have been here since the mid 70’s. I have watched this town grow over the years and during that time we have avoided something that many cities across America have been unable to avoid, a property tax. Now this actually means something to me, I own property and if this were to pass I would be on the hook. This is where the rub comes because I am going to support this tax. Sometimes in life we have to take one for the team, and this is one of those times. If you are curious about what this will cost you please visit www.yesformesa.com and use the tax calculator.There are some reasons that I am willing to support this tax. The money generated will go to essential services for the city. Services like funding street repairs and expansion, parks and recreation, fire fighters and something close to my heart the Mesa Police. The property tax will be capped at $30 million and will adjust for inflation. In order to increase the property tax it would have to go back to the people for a vote. This city has grown at a rapid pace and the money going out has outpaced the revenue the city has been able to produce. It is time for the citizens of Mesa to step up to the plate and take one for the team. Taxes are a touchy subject, some think we pay far too little and others think that we are basically slaves to our government. What you ultimately decide to do is up to you. As for me I will bite the bullet, vote yes on Question 1 & 2 and hope that those who sit on the Mesa City Council spend my money wisely.So there you have it, this city’s future is once again in your hands. The only question is, what are you going to do about it? This is the 40th largest city in the country, it has no property tax, if this issue upsets you so much and you move out of Mesa the chance is you will be paying property taxes somewhere else. Why not just take one for the team and make this city the crown jewel of the East Valley that it once was.Of course that is just my take.