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As I pay my property tax, I looked at recent data on taxes.

Components of Bonner County property taxes since 2009 (annual rate)

Total Non Exempt Tax: +42.54% (+3.61% )

County: +51.86% (+4.27%)

Sandpoint: +52.08% (+4.28%)

LPOSD Supplemental: +189.55% (+6.60%)

LPOSD Other: +21.47% (+1.96%)

Independent Highway: +60.98% (+4.88%)

Pend Orielle Hospital: +59.23% (+4.76%)

Ambulance: -18.59% (-1.72%)

East Bonner Library: +58.22% (+4.70%) Solid Waste: +68.18% (+5.34% a year)

Thoughts:

1. Compare these numbers to growth rate of your home value and income growth

2. If data is collected from #1, we can consider the impact of tax burdens on different demographics.

3. #1 and #2 provide an invaluable benchmark for fiscally responsible and affordable local taxation.

4. Small communities must lower tax growth relative to income and asset growth with an aim to increase real income growth of local residents.

5. Unless, these rates of growth are capped in meaningful ways, we will grow the need to grow the tax base through more population and business and turn us into the Coeur d’Alene metro area.

6. It is not too early to look at the budgetary approach of Sandy Springs, Georgia, which famously outsources all local services and is trying to reduce pension burdens.

7. The absolutely worst possible reasoning for matters of budgeting is the use of benchmarking vs. other cities or vs. state averages. It is the fast lane toward a fiscal nightmare. Focus instead on local calculations.

PETER KRIZ

Sandpoint