In response to your recent article, I would like to propose the “Fair Wheel Tax” that was my 85-year-young Dad’s idea.
[It is as follows:]
Implement an annual tax of $50 per wheel. That’s $200 per automobile and $100 per motorcycle. But (here’s the fair part), you may deduct your wheel tax payments from your county property taxes.
Example #1: Your county property taxes are $1,300. You’ve paid $600 in wheel taxes for your family’s three cars. So, you’ll deduct that $600 from the $1,300 and you’ll then only owe $700 in county property taxes. Most already highly taxed property owners will likely pay no more in property taxes than they do now. (Note: If your wheel taxes exceed your property taxes, you do not get a refund. You’ll simply not owe any property taxes).
Example #2: See the rental house near you with cars parked everywhere? I’m guessing there’s five cars and a motorcycle there. That’s $1,100 these people would be paying to the county that they’re not now doing. This way, renters, adult children who won’t leave home (or who have moved back in with their poor ol’ parents) and multiple-family dwelling occupants will then all contribute to the county coffers.
These non-payers of property taxes should not continue to have a free ride. They can wait on a new $200 cellphone or $600 flat-screen TV until after they’ve paid their “fair share” in taxes.
Why are people who have worked hard and built or purchased homes “punished” with property taxes while others can drive our roads and send their kids to school ... without contributing in kind?
Maybe our property taxes would be reduced as a result of this input of new monies.
Hey, I can dream, can’t I?
— Phil Lea
Cleveland
