Alabama has one of the lowest property taxes in the nation, and as a land owner I really appreciate it. Constantly I'm hearing people who don't own property say they want to raise them, mainly for education purposes. This could go off on several different directions, but it got me to thinking. People who own vehicles, pay vehicle and gas tax to support highways. People who own property pay taxes (a good chunk of it) to fund things they may not even use. Why should someone without children pay taxes for education and school improvements? I know how that sounds, and I know we need education for future generations. I just find it perplexing that people assume its OK to tax everyone the same that aren't using the same benefits. How about we tax every person who has a child in public school? What about renters that don't pay property tax? Their kids go to school just like a homeowners. Just thought this might be a good discussion, and it's always in my mind that its a matter of time before property taxes go up like other states.
Lots of "folks" will be tickled about it too.

I agree and disagree. How's that for a political statement???
I'm a big proponent of a flat tax (federal, state, local, etc.)...let everyone pay the same % across the board, no loopholes, no exemptions, no excuses. That's as fair as it can be made.

I was and still am a big fan of the FairTax. I just don't understand how it didn't gain any traction. Maybe one day.

Now you done hit a nerve. First, I disagree with you on 1 thing you said: Renters don't pay property taxes. Actually, they do. Property taxes go up, rent goes up. Property taxes go up, hunting leases go up. NOW, the hitting the nerve part: Property taxes!! In order to say we have low property taxes is cherry picking. You have to look at an individuals WHOLE tax bill. Example: Florida-No tax on groceries, income, or medicine. High property tax. Alabama-Tax on groceries, income, medicine, and property. So, if Florida resident and Alabama resident both pay the same in tax (I AM NOT SAYING THAT IT IS EACTLY THE SAME) does it matter what you CALL the tax. Also, property tax, unless you claim current use, changes from property to property for no rhyme or reason. In other words, 2 identical properties could and do have different taxes. Also, during the slow economy when my property was losing value supposedly, my taxes continued to rise...every year. And I protested it every year. I could go on and on but I will stop now and let 2Dogs take it from here.

I claim current use on every acre that my house is not on.
People think just because you have a little land your rich, but income comes in slower than you think. Taxes are right on time every year. Lol

When I am looking to buy a tract I always pull the taxes up. Shocking how many people don't claim current use. And homestead where your house is. But the way they slide it in on people that don't pay attention isn't right. You still have to look at the individuals WHOLE tax bill.

Give and take on low property taxes.

On funding education: First IF I had my way, the state would have zero input in education. Parents are responsible to educating their own children, not the state. Now if a county or local city wanted to have public schools then they can fund it and run it how they wish by their own standards. Secondly, I know that will never happen since education is a big business across the state. So since we have the public schools, they have to be funded by the public...we are stuck with it. Since we are stuck with it I will say that funding the education of our children is a civic duty of everyone and property taxes and other taxes are appropriate at some level. HOWEVER....I do insist (although it is like peeing in the wind) that if you home school or send your kids to a private school then you should get that % off your property taxes that would otherwise go to public education for your children--but only while your kids are in private or home school. Home school and private school is in fact funding the education of children and since we pay for it out of our own pockets, we are fulfilling our civic duty. One kids are out of school, go back to regular percentage on property taxes. Education benefits the community and culture, so all should pay for it in some manner--now that we are stuck with public schools.

My views are kinda different, yeah I know.

Better schools mean better home values. Even the old people benefit from better schools.

Renters do pay taxes, it's just rolled into their rent.

Too many IRS bureaucrats would lose their jobs. I'm sure both parties also use the IRS as a weapon against political opponents, too. If you can keep adding laws and complicating them more and more, eventually you can target whoever you want and make them guilty of something. There's too much power there for either party to seriously hand back to the public.

I'm all for better schools but I still don't understand why there is a need for 167 schools districts when you could make do with one for each county. Even if you went with one for each county and say one for each city over 50k population you still are funding only about 75 districts.

There is probably a $10MIL+ savings in cutting down the staffing of all those districts.

Some counties may work fine with one school system. We tried that in Mobile County and it didn't work very well. Too big, too inefficient. The north Mobile schools were under the same school board member that Prichard was under, so guess where the majority of the money went? The three cities' schools that broke away from Mobile County are doing much better than they were before.

That's why I said to allow a system with over 50k population their own district.

Calhoun County has
Jacksonville pop 12k
Piedmont pop 4500
Anniston pop 23k
Oxford pop 20k

Each of those is a district that pays their superintendent $100K per year. Their totals are $500k
Add in the Calhoun County Super and it is around $625K per year just in salaries for Supers. You multiply that by 67 and you are looking at $40 Million a year in just salaries for Supers.

None of the three cities in Mobile county have that much population.
After years of seeing tax dollars blown in Prichard and very few improvements to schools in Chickasaw, Saraland and Satsuma, there initially was a move to have several cities combine under a North Mobile School System. The Mobile County School System pushed to get the law changed where only single cities could form another system, so the schools in the three cities above would still be screwed under what you're proposing. The vast majority of tax money in our district was from cities other than Prichard, but Prichard always ended up with the vast majority of the spending. We couldn't outvote Prichard, and we couldn't get redistricted.

Saraland, Satsuma and Chickasaw have about 5000 students. They are paying $350,000 in Super salary.

That is a waste of money. Chickasaw Super is probably one of the top paid Supers if he only has about 1000 students.
The funding needs to be tied to the student. Each school gets funded based on enrollment. If you can't make it work with that then you best get to selling cookies, doughnuts and flower bulbs.

And generally, the people who have kids in these systems do. Lots of fund raisers here in Saraland for the schools. It's all good until it's your kid who goes to an overcrowded school with the bare minimum while your good tax money mainly goes to Prichard and down the toilet. Again, maybe your county can make it work, but seeing these three cities break away has been a blessing to our side of the county.

It needs to go up a bit. The big landowners need to pay more to help out. That means the little landowners like myself will pay a little more too. I'm good with that.

F@&* that noise. Just how much does it cost to teach a kid read and write?

Why the hell should it go up? Why do I even get taxed forever on the property?? I saved & scraped thousands or hundreds of thousands to buy timberland, why to I have to pay again year after year if it just sits there (or income tax of a product/profit is produced)? What if you had to pay a yearly property tax on every gun, bow, or tree stand you have? I'm sure that would go to help education, so you're good with taxing that property, right?

I've got to say I've never cared for the term landowner. Because actually we don't really own shucks! If u don't pay your rent (property taxes) they'll take yo shucks..Property taxes suck!!!