In the State of Arkansas, residents are required to pay state and federal income taxes and sales tax. In addition to these taxes, we are also required to pay taxes for property we have registered in our names, such as homes, land and vehicles. This tax is referred to as Property Tax. Property Tax is supposed to be used to maintain roads, build new roads and pay local government officials salaries among other things. My problem with this tax is that if you don't pay it, you could lose your property, even if you've already paid for it. In short, you never truly OWN anything in the State of Arkansas. Also, the revenue generated from this tax isn't being used for its intended purpose, made evident by the deteriorating condition of the roads in the southern region of the state. If the tax revenue isn't being used for its intended purpose, I believe we shouldn't be required to pay it. Even if it does get used correctly, the amount we pay should be decreased. While not the highest in the country, there are nine states whose residents pay substantially less than we do. Currently we pay .63% of our property's value every year in taxes. There are states whose residents are paying as little as .27% for property tax.
