Boomers and property taxes

Property taxes are a kind of wealth tax. For most Americans, most of their wealth is in their house. 

“92-year-old Pennsylvania woman died in January after prolonged health issues and a nightmarish six-year battle over property taxes.

 

“Gloria Gaynor, who was bedridden from illness, accrued $3,500 in unpaid property taxes in 2020. By 2025, she was facing eviction from a company that put a lien on her home after buying the unpaid debt from Delaware County at auction, ABC7 reported.

 

“This stressful scenario is one that strikes fear into the hearts of many retirees, and has led to a growing movement among the baby boomer generation (those aged 62 to 80) to eliminate their property taxes.”

Property taxes fund public schools, fire and police departments, trash collection, public health programs and road maintenance, among other public services. Here in Rhode Island, our property taxes are on the high side, but East Providence gives a tax break of a few hundred dollars for residents over 65, which we are. If we were struggling with property taxes, we would downsize to a smaller house or condo.

I understand the sticker shock for some folks when they pay off their house and are suddenly aware of the property taxes their mortgage company had been paying on their behalf. But that information was always out there. If you can’t afford the property taxes, you can’t afford the house. 

Cutting or eliminating property taxes doesn’t eliminate the need for the public services that property taxes pay for. They’ll just have to be paid some other way. People who want to eliminate property taxes without explaining how they’ll deal with the consequences are just dishonest.

https://www.independent.co.uk/us/money/baby-boomers-abolish-property-tax-b3071760.html?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=editorial-push

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