Property tax is as much a fact of life as human survival and reproduction.
Although not in our genes, taxes have been in our lives as much as civilization, for taxes are part of civilization. Taxes have been there even before written history.
And those of us who live in Shorewood know they have been here even before we were.
University students complain about under-maintained apartments and landlords, especially absentees landlords, complain about high property taxes.
There's no avoiding taxes, unless you were "queen of mean," Billionaire Leona Helmsly who also went to jail for not paying her taxes.
On average, my property taxes have been increasing pretty much at a rate of about 3% per year over the past 35 years.
I don't know how much the tax base has been increasing over that period of time nor whether expenditures have been following a similar line.
This year's increase is again going to be about 3%.
So no matter what those running for office promise us nor what the village does, if we are going to live here, we are probably going to experience the same percentage of tax increase every year, whether we pay it or not.
So talk about reducing taxes or one proposal verus another is much to do about nothing. But at least, let's try to get the best for our money.
There's certainly something to the saying of the inevitability of “death and taxes.” But I prefer "life and taxes."
As Leona learned, jail is an alternative.
