Letter: Cap on rising property taxes deserves analysis

Friday, Aug. 13, 2004 | 8:53 a.m.

I read with deep interest Gil Eisner's Aug. 2 letter about rising property values and taxes. I think his letter was right on the mark. I experienced a similar property tax increase problem when I was living in Illinois during the late 1990s.

Property taxes were increasing at ridiculous rates until people became outraged and the Legislature finally passed a 5 percent tax cap. I give Clark County Assessor Mark Schofield credit for trying to get a tax cap in place now, but I am very concerned about Gov. Kenny Guinn's decision against calling a special session of the Legislature to enact a cap. The issue is important enough to be analyzed in a special session. Here are some questions I would have:

If a tax cap is not put in place during the 2005 Legislature, who do we blame?

What's the analysis behind Mr. Schofield's proposed 6 percent tax cap? What's wrong with a 5 percent cap, or a 4 percent cap or a 3 percent cap?

Why should I vote for a proposal to increase our sales taxes to pay for more Metro Police officers when my property taxes are going to be increased by an unknown amount anyway? Why can't that money be used to pay for more officers?

BRIAN J. KOSINSKI