I'm not usually a person to gripe about taxes. Generally speaking, if I'm paying more in income taxes now than 1, 5, or more years ago, that's good, because it means I'm making more money.
I have a concern about the property taxes in Burlington, VT.
I've been a resident and property owner in the city since 2001, and thus have property tax forms for the fiscal years ending in 2002-2021. So I can tell you:
- For the fiscal year ending in 2002, the total rate was 1.3734%**.
- For the fiscal year ending in 2021, the total rate was 2.9571%.
- The median household income in Vermont in 2002 was $43,914.
- The median household income in Vermont in 2019 was $60,076.
That's an average increase of just over 1.86% per year over 17 years.
This isn't sustainable long-term.
** This is an estimate. There was a citywide reappraisal in 2004-5 that increased the appraised value of our property by 75% and lowered the tax rates, so I adjusted the tax rates prior to the reappraisal by this factor so that they are comparable to the rates post-reappraisal.
