Do you feel your property taxes are too high?

That they're disproportionate to the properties around you and in your neighbourhood?

If you do, please take a moment to read the details of this petition and sign it in an effort to make municipal taxation fair for every property owner in Nova Scotia. 

Long before income taxes existed the colonial methods of municipal taxation were introduced.  Wealthy land owners paid a greater share because they were capable of doing so. At one point to simplify the assessment process windows and doors were counted as a method to value property. Wise home owners soon began to brick in windows and doors as a technique to avoid paying taxes. 

Today we have a much different situation. Property assessment is employed as a method to distribute municipal operating costs to property owners via a mil rate. 

The result today is an unintended distribution of cost sharing brought about by wildly escalated property values. 

It is my belief that everyone should pay the municipality the same amount when the same services are provided.  I believe services such as police, fire, garbage, administration, bylaws, road maintenance, water, sewer, library and public schools etc... are provided to residents of a municipality without consideration of property values. Therefore everyone in the municipality benefiting from these services should pay the same amount. 

A modernization of municipal taxation would look like this.  The municipal budget is x. The number of properties is y. The calculation of fees for services rendered is x divided by y.

By employing this simple method, all ratepayers will pay exactly the same for the services provided by the municipality. 

This eliminates the need of a property assessment service and makes citizens aware of exactly what the cost is for services provided. 

Modernization of municipal taxation will encourage the sales of homes in communities attempting to grow with new development by not placing higher property taxation fees on new homes simply because they now cost more to produce. Resale homes are also disproportionately taxed as they have a different valuation from neighbouring properties. 

Thank you for your consideration and support of this proposal to change the unfair way property taxation is currently working.