Letter: Existing residents funding too much

Thursday, Nov. 10, 2005 | 8:07 a.m.

Why should existing property owners pay for utilities and access to new developments, permit wholesale zoning law changes, allow seizure of private property for economic development, usurping of public monies for salary increases in the government sector without oversight, and continuation of an educational system which produces near illiterates?

The concept that existing residents could benefit by underwriting "growth" emerged several years ago and was gleefully adopted by governmental figures, but was never fully accepted by the general population. The people grudgingly paid gradual increases in property taxes to sustain growth and developments until suddenly our officials demanded massive new amounts of money. Now, just as suddenly, the people are starting to demand redress through two referendums now being circulated -- Sharron Angle's Property Tax Restraint Initiative, and Bob Beers' Tax and Spending Control Initiative.

The great state of Nevada was built on the concept that anyone wishing to develop a plot of land must also provide the supporting infrastructure. Whether for residential or commercial use they were required to provide approved access to the site and complete installation of all necessary utilities, including waste control.

Confirmation of adherence to all community standards allowed, sometimes forced, the builder to join into common maintenance and protection of all properties by the community through taxation. One exception ultimately evolved: approval of major upgrades or repairs to a locality allowed a "special assessment tax" to be levied upon only those directly benefiting. From this grew the concept of equal taxation of equal properties for the common good.

Richard E. Law

Las Vegas