Editor: Assessed value is an old-fashioned, inefficient and unfair way to determine property tax.
Why should you pay more or less than your neighbor (because they have a different assessed value) when you both use exactly the same amount of services?
Municipalities and cities could easily flat-rate the service costs based on the property classification.
For instance, all residential properties receive the same level of fire and police services.
If you call them, they come and help.
A flat rate could be developed for that service and each residential property would then be assessed that cost in equal proportion.
Each classification such as commercial, industrial would have different flat rates. They have different rates now, but they are based on assessed value.
There would be no need for the local governments to collect less — they would still get what is needed to provide the service, but at least the costs would be fair.
Doug Wade,
Langley
