For many months now, everyone has been bombarded with talk of the economy and taxes. Like most taxpayers, I do not like it when my taxes go up or I’m greeted with another item that is taxed. However, like most taxpayers, I pay my taxes on time. I do not try to game the system in any manner. In other words, I am an honest taxpayer.
That’s why I just planned to pay as usual when the personal property tax bill for my car arrived in the mail. But I happened to take a close look at the bill. As I looked at the breakdown of where the money is applied, my first reaction was, “Yikes, what is all of this stuff?”
Most of the items seemed quite reasonable. More than half of the bill — 52.25 percent — goes to the school system for operations. A little more than 23 percent also goes to Wake county Schools for the building program. Since I live in the county, the percentage dedicated to the Sheriff also seems logical. But then why is there another designation called public safety? Wake Community College seems logical, but what encompasses Human Services, Environmental Services, General Government, or Community Services?
Those designations piqued my curiosity, and I had to know what all of them provide the taxpayers of Wake County. So I was off to the Wake County Department of Revenue Web site for a little research. After a little searching, I just decided to plug in each individual item in the search engine. Bingo! I was rewarded.
Since Public Safety seemed similar to the Sheriff designation, I started there. This turned out to be legitimate expenditures for a training center for firefighters, a Firearms Education Center for law enforcement officials and the public, and funds for the Wake County jail.
I moved on to General Government, which appears to be nothing more than money for Wake County’s government buildings.
Environmental Services provides a wealth of information, including the latest restaurant ratings. It’s a very helpful site for Wake residents who love to dine out.
Community Services funds Wake’s parks, libraries, and my personal favorite: “open space.” Now, as an English major, I love words, but this is where I first encounter the wordsmiths. It is obvious that Wake County has used my tax dollars to write a warm, fuzzy piece on why we should all love “open spaces.” Unfortunately, the site does not point out that open spaces will not correct the years of poor planning that caused the unsavory conditions that are listed, nor does it note that too much open space planning increases home prices and the tax burden on homeowners. Do I really need Wake County government providing me a “Sense of Place”? But the oddest listing in this area is Veterans & Military Services. What an odd placement.
The County Capital Program provides Wake county residents information about what the county planners and commissioners envision for the future of Wake County. Once again, you have to deal with the wordsmiths, but it is an interesting look at how your tax dollars could be spent in the upcoming years.
Finally, I plug into Human Services. After the school system, Wake County’s Human Services division receives the largest portion of our tax dollars (6.164 percent) and has 1,840 employees. They, too, have hired a wordsmith who fashioned this mission statement: “Wake County Human Services, in partnership with the community, will anticipate and respond to the public health, behavioral health and the economic and social needs of Wake County residents. We will coordinate and sustain efforts that assure safety, equity, access, and well-being for all.” Now doesn’t that provide you with a warm, fuzzy feeling, knowing that Wake County is doing all of this just for us.
I now know where all of my tax dollars are appropriated in Wake County, but I wonder why this payment goes to the Wake County Revenue Department at a P.O. Box in Charlotte. I hope the Queen City is returning my tax dollars promptly to Wake County.
Maybe if we all took a closer look at our tax bills and understood how our elected officials are spending our money, we would have a more efficient government and lower taxes.