Voter: think long term before choosing to increase property taxes

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Dear Editor:

Here is my perspective regarding local school funding, tax allocation, and accountability for elected officials.

State income and sales taxes are meant to be allocated to the school district’s Education Fund, which directly supports classroom instruction and teacher salaries. These funds are distributed via the state tuition support formula based primarily on student enrollment (Average Daily Membership). As a community grows, increased employment and consumer spending naturally boost income and sales tax revenues. These growing revenues should adequately support the public education system.

Residents must hold elected officials accountable to ensure funds are properly allocated toward education and teacher compensation. It is up to citizens to elect representatives who prioritize public education, rather than shifting the burden onto homeowners through increased property taxes. Many homeowners are retirees on fixed incomes or residents without school-aged children, and they should not face financial penalties for the decisions of elected representatives.

It is hard enough for families today to afford a home. We also need to think about the children who will become adults and hope to buy homes of their own someday.

Homeownership should mean being able to afford to stay in the home you worked hard to purchase. When property taxes continue to rise faster than people’s incomes, those taxes can become an ongoing housing cost, effectively like rent on an asset you already own.

We need to think long term. What will housing affordability look like for the next generation? Our children deserve a chance to buy a home, build equity, and afford the cost of living there without being pushed out by ever-increasing property taxes.

Sheri Warner
Westfield