LETTER: Think your tax bill has grown? Maybe it has actually shrunk

People like to complain about taxes. It’s a very popular thing to do, but it appears as though most people don’t really understand money. The fact is, it’s not that easy.

According to the American Institute for Economic Research, the value of a home that was worth $200,000 in 2003 was $267,000 in 2017. That is the impact of inflation over the 15-year period.

In 2017, you needed $1.33 to buy what you bought for a dollar in 2003.

 I am an Ozaukee County native who now lives in the Village of Campton Hills in Kane County, Ill. In 2003, the real estate tax bill for a $200,000 home here was roughly $3,500. In 2017, the tax bill, after factoring inflation, should have been $4,663. Y et the actual amount of the tax bill for this same home was only about $4,400.  

The takeaway from this is that the taxing bodies collectively have done an excellent job of keeping costs under control in Kane County, Ill. Although the amount of the tax on a $200,000 property grew from $3,500 to $4,400 over 15 years, this was actually a decrease of $263 in inflation-adjusted numbers.

I take my hat off to the government taxing bodies, especially the school districts, that have spent our money wisely.

Folks in Port Washington, Belgium, Saukville, Fredonia and other communities, do the analysis and you may find out that your taxing bodies are spending your money with a level of wisdom that they haven’t been given credit for.

John S. Strauss
Campton Hills, Ill.