Is Tom Leppert a Fiscal Conservative?
Angela Hunt and I surprise each other sometimes by actually agreeing on an issue. Regardless of whether we agree or disagree, I respect her civility, her dedication to Dallas, and most of all, her diligence. As the vote on the city budget nears, she has been poring over the details. She helpfully prepared a slideshow on the budget here (just click on the image to move on to the next slide). If you want more detail, you can also click on her Excel spreadsheets. Her major question, as you will see, is whether it is prudent in this economic climate for the city to assume more debt. The mayor says we need to keep investing in Dallas. Hunt asks how we are going to pay for it.
I agree with the mayor. But I also agree with Hunt. And that means, paradoxically, that I disagree with both of them. To invest in Dallas we need to raise taxes to pay for it. Otherwise we will be running Dallas like a junior version of the Bush Administration.
The rebuttal, of course, is that a recession is a stupid time to raise taxes. Almost all economists would agree — for the national economy. But Dallas is only 3/10th of 1 percent of the national economy. Its effect on the economy is like a pebble thrown into Lake Texoma. There is never a stupid time to be fiscally responsible. Tom Leppert the businessman knew that; Tom Leppert the politician-with-stars-in-his-eyes seems to have forgotten it. If we want the debt, the city should raise property taxes to pay the interest and principal. Otherwise, the citizens are handing the potential Senate candidate a IDCIWBH* card.
*I Don’t Care, I Won’t Be Here
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I’ve got a crazy idea, how about instead of raising taxes we focus on making sure properties are taxed at their true values on the tax roles.
I don’t mean to pick on you Wick but out of curiosity do you do anything to minimize the tax burden that Magazine Partners pays to the city? Were there any incentives involved in your move Downtown?
That’s no the only Bush White House theme that Mayor Tom has brought to City Hall. In addition to his spend and spend priorities, he borrowed the “if you’re not with us, you’re against us” motto and made it “We must do [X] to make Dallas a great city. If you oppose [X], you don’t want Dallas to be a great city.”
I want Dallas to be a great city. But I also want the basic city services that my property taxes pay for. And I don’t mind paying more if it means we don’t have to lay off hundreds of employees, force the rest to take unpaid days off and cut services and repairs.
Tennell Atkins is right about the need for a tax increase. I really admire the Plano City Manager who had the guts to recommend a tax increase because “people in Plano expect a certain level of city services.” When Dallas is cutting library hours, park and street maintenance, code compliance and so much more, it is not the “great city” the the Mayor presents. One foolish example is the millions spent on the fountain in Fair Park which is now not going to be used because Dallas cannot afford it. All the cute iphones will not overcome shoddy city services and amenities when companies are thinking of a relocation.
Currently there’s slightly south of 110 billion cubic ft of water in Lake Texhoma. So Wick, where do you find a 300 million cubic ft pebble?
A search on DCAD seems to suggest that the entire D magazine empire paid $2,787.72 in city taxes last year, just a little over $1000 more than I paid for my rather modest home. It appears that Wick you are only going to owe the city of Highland Park $3,649.22 in property taxes, just a little over twice as much as I paid the city of Dallas in property taxes despite having a home valued at around 9 times as much as my home, which of course makes sense because Highland Park is incredibly reliant on the City of Dallas to provide infrastructure and amenities like the Arts District.
So, in other words, it appears you think I should pay more taxes, you, not so much because you don’t even live in Dallas and pay, let’s face it, pretty minimal BPP taxes to the city. Oh, plus you are about to move your business into a TIF.
Of course, if you feel so strongly that you aren’t paying enough to the city I bet if you wanted to make out a sizable check to cover the difference in what you think you should be paying in taxes to the city of Dallas and what you do pay, I’m pretty sure a representative of the city, perhaps even Angela herself would be happy to swing by your office and pick up the check.
It certainly would make a great photo op, “Prominent local business man concerned that he isn’t paying enough to the city writes large check, encourages others to do the same”
@John M: Need to work on those detective skills, my friend. Actually I paid $31,138 in HP property taxes and $9,334 in Dallas property taxes. Have I now bought the right to my opinion? And because I paid 4 times more than you in Dallas taxes, do I get 4 more votes? While we’re at it, D Magazine received no public incentives in our move to downtown. (But it is wise of you to ask.)
I think Wick is saying he’s willing to pay more taxes for his business. But Mayor Tom isn’t listening.
As for personal property values, any efforts in the Texas Legislature to require sales-price disclosure on all real estate transactions, which would better establish the true market value of a home, were soundly rejected in the last session. Again.
@Wick
I was specifically referring to city taxes, not DISD/Parkland/DCC/County taxes. The focus of your post seemed to focus on City of Dallas budget crises and projects funded by the city budget, not the county budget. The taxes you are paying to the city of Dallas and the City of Highland Park are itemized on your property tax statement and the figures that I used in my post.
I’m not a tax expert, but my understanding is the only portion of the taxes you pay that goes directly into the City of Dallas budget is the $2,787.72 in BPP for Magazine Partners. I may be wrong though.
I, like the thousands of Dallas residents who attended bond townhall meetings several years ago, have stated and continue to say that I am willing to pay more in property taxes in order to invest in public safety, city services and infrastructure to build Dallas. Why is it that the elected officials and city management staff refuse to listen to us? I’ve been to several speeches over the years where the city manager outlined how much in increased taxes the bonds they now plan to sell will cost us; yet, she hasn’t been willing to bake these increases into the proposed budgets she submits to the City Council. Why not? Because times are bad? Give me a break. That’s not stopping Parkland, the County, or Dallas ISD. And I don’t use their services nearly as much as I do my local library or utility pay station.