Highest Taxes in the Nation

[BizCT]

Westchester is the first county in the nation to surpass the $10,000 median property-tax mark, and Rockland and Putnam are not far behind, new census estimates released today show.

The estimates for last year’s taxes do not reflect any impact from the state tax cap that might be seen in bills arriving this year, but some taxpayers are upset by both the amount of their tax bills and the cutbacks in services they’ve seen lately.

See new and comparative property tax and income statistics for Westchester, Rockland, Putnam compared to the rest of the nation here

“The more we pay, the less we get,” said Rob Riccardelli.

The Stony Point resident said his taxes are twice the Rockland median of $9,376. “In Stony Point, it’s high taxes with cutting at the town level and our students getting less of an education at the other end.”

According to the 2011 estimates from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, Westchester’s median property-tax bill rose to $10,000 from $8,890 in 2008. Rockland’s ranks third nationally at $9,376, up from $8,430, and Putnam’s, 12th in the nation, went to $7,851 from $7,324.

The estimates are based on surveys of total property taxes paid in a year from all taxing entities.

Median means half pay more, half payless.

The impact of the nation’s highest property taxes is accentuated by stagnant income in the Lower Hudson Valley.

Westchester’s median household income dropped from $79,448 in 2008 to $77,006 last year, and Rockland’s fell from $85,363 to $82,217.

Putnam’s income rose slightly from $89,928 to $90,735.

The combination of lower income and higher taxes was typical of affluent New York suburbs: It was the same case in Nassau and Suffolk in New York, as well as Bergen County in New Jersey and Fairfield in Connecticut.

“In Chappaqua $10,000 is nothing — I had that 20 years ago. There are people with $50,000 school-tax bills,” said Jim McCauley of BEST4NY, a group that advocates mandate relief as a way to control property taxes.

“Taxes keep going up and up. We do have the tax cap now, which may help, but it’s already started eating into the ability of the schools or the towns to do the function they’re charged with,” McCauley said. “The increase has slowed. They get it. They see the handwriting on the wall, but they have a tough job because of these unfunded mandates.”

Westchester may have the highest median tax bill, but many other counties have higher income.

More than 40 counties nationally have higher income and lower taxes.

The wealthiest counties in the nation — three Washington suburbs in Virginia — have tax bills less than half the size of Westchester’s.

To consolidation-oriented researchers like Gregory Holtz, who teaches public administration at Pace University in White Plains, that’s a clear sign of inefficiency.

Southern counties like Virginia’s tend to have centralized governments without individual towns, villages and school districts.

“You don’t see the multiple levels of government there, and governments run on tax money,” Holtz said. “We have an abundance of taxes because we have an abundance of layers, some of which duplicate each other. It’s about choices that people continue to want to make in the direction of staying smaller and staying fragmented.”

Others see high taxes as a cost of living in a great place.

Rey Hollingsworth Falu, a real estate broker in Bronxville who lives in Mount Vernon, said he sees property-tax sticker shock but still encourages people to make the leap to Westchester.

“Taxes are high, but you get a lot for them. That’s why I live here, and I encourage other people to move here,” said Falu, citing the proximity to Playland Amusement Park, the Yankees and Broadway. “Other places can’t deliver a fraction of the experience you get from this area. You’d have to travel all over the world to find the experience you get here in a 10-mile radius.”

Even Riccardelli said he’s happy to be able to pay his taxes in Rockland.

“It is tough to pay these taxes, and I’m lucky enough to afford them,” he said.

[ELMER J. FUDD]

But it's for the kids?

[Dinsdale]

Don't want those folks upstate to feel left out.....

Orleans county is a perennial leader for taxes paid vs. home values.

GO NY TAXES.....YIPEE!

[BizCT]

Orleans county is a perennial leader for taxes paid vs. home values.

Figured taxes went down in the bayou with all the $ swamp people are bringing in.

[Lawdwaz]

Don't want those folks upstate to feel left out.....

Orleans county is a perennial leader for taxes paid vs. home values.

GO NY TAXES.....YIPEE!

It's all on the shoulders of Brown's Berry Patch. <grin>

Hey Dan! When you coming to town?? I have a ladder that needs some lovin...............

(Inside joke you freaks)

[Dinsdale]

It's all on the shoulders of Brown's Berry Patch. <grin>

Hey Dan! When you coming to town?? I have a ladder that needs some lovin...............

(Inside joke you freaks)

My dad is making a spread sheet of the cost factors in buying 120 bricks right now.......you know the benefit ratio of purchase price vs delivery or multiple trips of picking them up.

Good at making a months analysis for 2 days work.

I have a bunch of jobs going here anyway; I absolutely have to get back to Africa next year......and tying into this thread..... I'm sick of working to pay frickin' taxes and insurance.

Sell some stuff and come along.

[Lawdwaz]

My dad is making a spread sheet of the cost factors in buying 120 bricks right now.......you know the benefit ratio of purchase price vs delivery or multiple trips of picking them up.

Good at making a months analysis for 2 days work.

I have a bunch of jobs going here anyway; I absolutely have to get back to Africa next year......and tying into this thread..... I'm sick of working to pay frickin' taxes and insurance.

Sell some stuff and come along.

I don't know about Africa but I sure as hell could p/u the bricks for your dad. Where is he getting them, Felbers? Tell him it is absolutely no problem. Saturday? Next week? Let me know.

[Lawdwaz]

Sorry to side track your thread Biz. You owe me one. <grin>