THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, June 11, 1996 TAG: 9606110020
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 36 lines
I have the deepest sympathy for C. J. Carpenter (``Already taxed too much at the Beach,'' letter, June 3) and share the writer's sentiments in their entirety. Two suggestions:
The first stems from my study of the pie-chart on the back of my most-recent demand for real-estate tax, which indicates that 47 percent of the revenue is spent on education.
It so happens that in 1996, that percentage of the six-monthly tax on a home with an assessed value of $175,000 is almost exactly $500. This is the same figure that is being bandied by vote-catching politicians as a proposed annual tax credit, per child, for families, even if the taxpayers have a comparatively high income.
Thus, a Virginia Beach family with two children living in a house assessed at $175,000 would have its annual local ``education'' tax paid by the federal government.
Those of us, however, who have no children living at home have to pay the same amount out of our pockets. This is patently unfair, especially if we have not used the Virginia Beach public-education system for many years, if ever.
My suggestion, then, is that all homeowners over the age of 65 (by which time they have paid their dues) should be forgiven that element of their tax which is dedicated to education.
My second suggestion is that steps should be taken to prevent the tax being increased in the same year assessments are increased. This double-whammy may not be noticeable to those who pay their tax monthly as part of their mortgage payments, but it certainly gets the attention of those of us who receive a large bill every six months.
J. A. PALMER
Virginia Beach, June 3, 1996 by CNB