Our Turn: Property tax relief means stronger families and a stronger economy
Published: 2/14/2021 6:00:08 AM
Families across New Hampshire are well acquainted with two truths. First, property taxes are excruciatingly high – and often highest for the least well-off. Second, school funding is inequitable – and, for many towns, insufficient.
Since the early 2000s, our low- and moderate-income neighbors have struggled to make ends meet in the crosswinds of wage stagnation and rising cost of living; many are now flattened by the headwind of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of July 2020, half of New Hampshire households reported some loss of income from employment and more than one in four households are now struggling to pay basic expenses. From Portsmouth to Pittsfield, Lebanon to Lisbon, we’ve heard rallying cries for transparency and equity in the property tax system. With school budget shortfalls and potential cuts to state education aid looming, families will once again bear the brunt of these twin crises when towns are forced to raise property taxes in order to fund schools already cut to the bone.