To the Editor:
I read with interest the Naples Daily News article, “Collier faces $63M hit from tax plan,” (June 6).
While much of the discussion focuses on how local governments will cope with reduced revenue, the deeper issue is the disconnect between property taxes and the services governments provide.
We know what government services cost because officials present budgets and tax bills every year. But what are those services worth? In a market economy, value is determined by voluntary exchange. Consumers decide what goods and services they want, and producers respond accordingly. Supply and demand establish prices that reflect what people are willing to pay and what providers are willing to offer.
Most of the services Americans rely upon every day — from cell phones and internet access to streaming platforms and cable television — are provided through voluntary transactions. Consumers choose whether the service is worth the price. Taxation severs this peaceful relationship. Citizens are compelled to pay regardless of how much they value the service or whether they use it at all.
The solution is to move away from tax-funded local government and toward user fees. Police protection, fire services, parks, waste collection, schools, and other local services should be funded in the same manner as other services in the marketplace: by those who choose to use and support them. Such a system would make local governments more accountable, efficient, and responsive to citizens.
Property taxes should be abolished. A free society should rely on voluntary exchange rather than coercion. Let citizens, not tax assessors, determine which services are worth paying for and how much they are willing to spend.
Murray Sabrin, PhD
Naples, FL
Note: The views expressed on Mises.org are not necessarily those of the Mises Institute.
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