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Well there you go, another referendum passed.

I will say the money the city just got will be used for a good cause, but shouldn’t the city use the money they already have from the taxes that they have collected from us?

People don’t stop and think of the consequences of raising property taxes.

First of all, is it fair that some people will pay more than other people simply because their house is valued at more than other houses? We are being told that it’s only about $4 a month for most people, but it was only a few bucks the time before and the time before that, too. It adds up!

Now for the trickle-down effect. Landlords will not take money out of their pockets to pay for the rise in property taxes. What they are going to do is raise the rent that they charge their renters. They will raise it more than they need to because they will want their renters to cover the rise for the house they live in, too! So what happens next? Some of these renters will be going to the city to get financial aid, which means a bigger burden for the taxpayers, which could also mean another tax increase somewhere along the line.

Rising rent also helps account for rising homelessness.

When the next referendum comes at us again (which I am sure will be within the next year), I hope that people will stop and think about the consequences in the long-run.

Rod Anderson
Albert Lea