There has been lots of talk about property taxes in Indiana lately, and rightly so.
There's talk of repealing the property tax and increasing the sales and income taxes to make up the difference.
That idea may have some merit and political traction. Even if that idea doesn't fly, something likely will happen with regard to property taxes because nobody seems to think the status quo is working.So it seems to me big changes are coming in the way we pay taxes.
But no matter what the change, the fact is, we taxpayers have a pretty significant burden.
At the same time, we hear that local taxing units - schools, cities, towns, townships, cops, firemen - are all telling us they are strapped for cash.
In all the debate about taxes, I haven't heard a great deal of talk about these taxing units spending less money.
Quite the contrary, we keep coming up with more creative ways to take money from taxpayers - Economic Development Income Taxes, County Option Income Taxes, County Adjusted Gross Income Taxes, Food and Beverage Taxes, Innkeepers Tax, Cigarette Taxes, Fuel Taxes.
These are just off the top of my head. I'm sure I'm leaving some out.
So here's the novel concept.
Instead of worrying so much about how we're going to raise the tax money, why not worry about spending fewer tax dollars?
See, if you or I are a little short of money, we put stuff off or buy the store brand instead of the name brand.
I think taxing units should do the same thing.
Seriously.
But have you ever seen a taxing unit do anything on the cheap?
The argument usually is that the taxpayers deserve the best for their dollars.
But that only holds water to a point. I mean, there's a difference between getting the best for your dollar and getting the most for your dollar.
Taxpayers should be getting the most.
There are lots of examples.
Over the years I've watched elected official approve purchases of items that seem pretty darn unnecessary and overpriced.
Here's an excerpt from a story we did a while back when Warsaw Schools was building its Performing Arts Center.
... "The 980-seat auditorium is equipped with a Vortec Rigging System for the curtains and other stage equipment ... WCHS is one of only 10 high schools in the country to have the state-of-the-art system."
I bet that's a very nice system, but was that something taxpayers could have lived without?
Could we have lived without the 4,200-seat football field? Could we have lived without the $400,000 concession stand?
I don't know. I'm just asking.
Can we get by with the 80-foot ladder truck instead of the 100-foot ladder truck?
Can we get by with only replacing cops guns every 20 years or so? It's not like they ever wear them out.
Do we need a $50,000 SWAT trailer?
Do we need to burn up fuel by driving emergency vehicles in parades and to 9/11 memorials?
I don't know. I'm just asking.
I'm not saying that we should slight any public servant. They should absolutely have everything they need to protect, serve and educate us.
But does it all have to be top drawer? Can't we ever save money on some of these things?
Here's an idea.
Why do schools have to be architectural marvels? Does this, somehow, make our kids smarter?
Why not take a cue from CVS or McDonalds or Wal-Mart or any other successful muti-location business.
Why not make every elementary school in the state the same? Why not make every middle school in the state the same? Why not make every high school in the state the same?
The only difference would be capacity. Hire one architectural firm to come up with the design. Make the design easily expandable and have the designated architect upgrade it every five years or so as new schools across the state are needed.
Share the cost of the architect with all school corporations across the state. When it's time to build, the plans are already done.
The state-approved contractor comes in and builds the school based on the needs of the community.
Can you imagine how much money that would save the taxpayers?
And it would eliminate "school envy." The school in Carmel would look just like the school in Triton, only bigger.
Why wouldn't something like that work? I don't know. I'm just asking.
As the tax situation in this state and nation reaches a tipping point - tax liberation day, the day you start working for yourself, is in June these days - I think lots of taxpayers are going to start asking.
