TO THE EDITOR:

How Dumb Do They Think We Are? Last week’s story on how the tax rates are down across the county is yet another blatant attempt to hide how the county is spending more each year causing your property taxes to go up.  Your property tax is tied to your property’s market value.  You have a $250k home and paid $3,333 in property taxes last year.  It is the value of your home that determines what portion of the County Budget you are responsible for.  If 300, $250k properties had to equally divide up a $1 million budget, everyone’s share would be $3,333. Now last year your neighbor’s home sold for $300k, so your home is now valued at $300k. If the budget had stayed the same at $1 million, the 300, now $300k properties would still only be taxed $3,333 each, but the “tax rate”, on a $300k property would be less than the tax rate on a $250k property. Now look at your current property tax bill.  Are you paying the same or less than you did the year before?  No, everyone’s taxes went up just as everyone’s property value went up.  We are paying more real dollars because they are spending more.

Bret R. Collier

Big Lake, MN