From Wallet Hub:
Depending on where you live, property taxes can be anything from a minor annoyance to a significant financial strain. The average U.S. household pays $3,119 per year in property taxes on their home, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and residents in the 26 states that levy vehicle property taxes pay an additional $499 annually.
While property taxes may seem irrelevant to the 35% of households that rent, that assumption misses the mark. Whether paid directly or indirectly, nearly everyone bears the cost of property taxes, as they influence rental prices and help fund state and local governments.
So which states place the heaviest property tax burden on residents, and what should taxpayers know about managing and potentially reducing what they owe? To find out, we examined real estate and vehicle property taxes across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and consulted a panel of property-tax experts for both practical guidance and policy insight.
More info here
On behalf of the Senate Republican Caucus, Sen. Stephen Harding issued the following statement regarding Connecticut being ranked as having the 3rd highest property taxes in the country.
“We are holding firm at #3 most unaffordable.
Nothing is changing.
And nothing will change until we have more balance at the State Capitol.
Republicans have offered a common sense plan that effectively eliminates the car tax for working families and limits property tax increases.
We urge supermajority Democrats to pass it into law.
Can’t afford Connecticut? Neither can we. And we can’t afford Connecticut Democrats.
The Senate Republican plan will save families thousands of dollars a year, every year. If not now, then when?”
The article referenced that property taxes are basically irrelevant to the 35% of households who rent their residences. True, little to dispute directly.
However, when you own your residence in a community where 50% and more of the households are renters, relevance matters. Isn’t that a description of Bridgeport? Where is the public agency, forum, or department that actively pursues strategies to allow more households who desire to own, to pursue that dream, and provide more balance to voting at election time, CIVICS education and civic engagement as a purpose, and pursuit of public service by citizens, in the meantime? Time will tell.