Are Texans’ property taxes too high?

Opinion

Discussion

September 13, 2006

By Dick Dwelle The Athens Daily Review Wed Sep 13, 2006, 07:50 AM CDT

If you are a property owner, this article will likely be of interest to you. If you are, do you feel that your property taxes are too high?

Most Texans complain that theirs are. Are property owners in other states paying more on theirs than Texans or less? In which state do residents have the right to complain the loudest? Texas or another state?

You may already know the answer. But, just so we can compare let’s look at some figures that we found in the August 2006 issue of Money Magazine. The article suggested 10 top places in the U.S. that were the best ones in which to live. One of these places is in Texas. Its tax rate is only slightly less than Athens’.

The article told about each of the towns. It also gave the average price and the approximate amount of property taxes one would pay on the average single-family home in the community. We computed the tax rate using those two figures.

Homes in the ten locations they chose are expensive. The Texas location cited, Sugar Land, had the second least expensive home. Fort Collins, Colo., had the least.

The chart we have prepared (inset) compares the amount of taxes paid in different states as provided by the article. Because we lack figures from states other than the ones provided in the article, this comparison is very limited in its scope.

We threw Athens in to the comparison so our readers can see how their taxes compare with those of residents in other states.

We do not readily have figures on the exemptions allowed on homesteads by taxing authorities in other states that would reduce taxes on some of the homes. We do know the ones for Athens. Exemptions were not taken into consideration.

The disabled in Texas do receive some benefit on their property and most home owners over age 65 have their taxes frozen by some of the taxing bodies. Homestead owners in Athens receive these exemptions: AISD $235.50, City $22.19 and County R&B; $1.74 for a total of $259.30.

Looked at the chart? Depressed? If so, we understand.

Next year and the year after things should be a little better with lower school tax rates due.

This year’s nominal cut in school taxes was offset, in most cases, by increased property values and by other taxing authorities raising their rates.

———

Dick Dwelle is former owner of the Athens Review.

Feeling taxes?

The following chart shows tax rates in chosen cities across the U.S., and including Athens. Tax rates arrived at by dividing provided value into provided tax amount for the 10 communities. All figures in chart based on 2005 taxes and tax rates:

Value typical Estimated Est.

Single-family Property Tax

City/Town home Taxes Rate

Ft. Collins, Colo. 128,000 1,700 1.33

Naperville,Ill. 360,000 5,000 1.39

Sugar Land, Texas 170,000 4,500 2.65

*Columbia, Md. 350,000 5,900 1.69

*Ellicott City, Md. 550,000 5,500 1.00

Cary, N.C. 280,000 2,900 1.05

Overland Park, Kan. 250,000 3,500 1.40

Scottsdale, Ariz. 500,000 2,200 0.40

Boise, Idaho 215,000 2,500 1.16

Fairfield, Conn. 545,000 5,300 0.97

Eden Prairie, Minn. 300,000 3,500 1.17

*Columbia and Ellicott City are listed as one location.

Approximate amount Athens homeowners pay:

**Athens, Texas 100,000 2,690 2.69

**Athens, Texas 128,000 3,443 2.69

**Athens, Texas 350,000 9,415 2.69

On most homesteads where owner is age 65 or over or disabled, taxes would be lower. Homestead exemptions for Athens reduce tax bills by $259.30.

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