It is decision time in Carson City. We are being asked to possibly vote ourselves right out of our homes and businesses. We are being asked to raise our taxes at a time when many of us can least afford additional expenses. Carson City's population is forecast to decrease for the next few years and both the sheriff and the fire chief want us to possibly overextend ourselves, perhaps right out of our homes and businesses.
Because of this, Carson City voters should VOTE NO on Ballot Measure CC 2. It is never wise to raise taxes during a recession. The stock market has lost 33 per cent of its value in the last year. Nevada's economy is dead last, according to the Nevada Appeal. The media tells us that we are entering a recession. Some even say we are facing a depression. People are losing their homes and jobs. How can we afford a tax increase at this time?
It is proposed to tax property owners 12.5 cents per $100 of assessed value to pay for added police and fire protection. Unlike the existing property tax whose allowable increases are capped at 3 percent, this tax is unbounded. It has no caps; it can go up and up forever. Further commercial properties can increase at 8 percent per year, more than double the rate of owner occupied residential real estate. Because this tax is based on the actual assessed value of real estate and has no limits, it has the potential of making our homes and businesses so expensive that we can no longer own them. Those of us on fixed incomes, especially those in rental properties that are allowed to increase at the higher rate, may not be able to continue living or working in our homes and businesses.
Do we need the added services that the sheriff and fire chief say we need? The population of the city has decreased; there are no new construction projects in Carson City except for a few houses in Silver Oaks. The distance to respond in Carson City has not changed. The crime rate is down so why can't deputies be transferred within departments as the need arises?
The proposed tax is computed from the assessed value of the property, not the abated value from which the property tax is normally computed. The assessed value is substantially higher than the abated value. This new tax does not come under the 3 percent (or 8 percent) cap increase. It can rapidly increase depending on the property's assessed value. This tax will hurt senior citizens on fixed incomes and will make affordable housing less affordable.
The tax will cost large businesses thousands of dollars. Businesses do not pay taxes; they collect them. They pass these costs on to their customers who will then pay more for the products they buy. Employees may not get the raise in salary that they deserve due to the added cost of the tax. Carson City businesses can be hurt due to increasing prices and services, which makes them less competitive with businesses in other counties. This tax is not needed and will harm all property owners and renters. So home owners beware, this tax could force you out of your homes. In this economy, our expenses are high enough. We do not need higher taxes.
The committee for the tax increase originally wanted a tax increase of 37 cents per $100. If ballot measure CC 2 should pass, then they will want the rest of the tax increase next election.
So voters of Carson City, VOTE NO on ballot measure CC2.