Dumb Property Taxes Memes

Variations of these memes keep getting dumber every time I see them. One of the worst is, ‘I paid off my mortgage, so I shouldn’t have to pay property taxes!’ as if the mortgage and the taxes were ever connected in the first place. Paying off a loan to the bank has nothing to do with funding the infrastructure, services, and protections that keep a community running. Yet somehow these takes keep circling back, each one a little more misguided than the last.

My reply is always similar to this:

"Perfect. And just so you know, access to city streets and sidewalks runs $3,962.43 a year. If you ever need firefighters or paramedics, they’ll require $1,800 cash up front before doing anything life-saving. And your grandkids will need to bring $10 a day to cover their schooling. We take cash or credit."
The issue isn’t the existence of residential property taxes; it’s how those taxes are managed by whichever Council or government happens to be in charge. The real frustration comes when those funds are handled carelessly or diverted into projects that don’t benefit the community.

Whether you own your home or rent it, your residential taxes contribute to the services and infrastructure you rely on every day—things like roads, emergency services, public schools, parks, waste collection, libraries, and countless other amenities that keep a community functioning. The problem isn’t the idea of paying for these essentials; it’s when the people entrusted with that money fail to use it responsibly.
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Quit going along with the crowd and take the time to understand where your tax dollars actually go. Once you do, it becomes pretty obvious that a pay-per-use system would be a disaster. The real issue isn’t whether your city spends your money—it’s making sure they spend it responsibly. Otherwise, you’re left with the absurd alternatives: either pay for every little thing or magically print money. Problem solved!
And stop claiming that people who don’t own a home don’t pay property taxes. Renters pay them too—through our rent. Or did you really think the landlord just absorbs the bill and doesn’t pass the cost on to tenants?