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I live in a "strong town". On my modest home, I pay $8000/yr in property taxes. In addition I pay over $10,000 in local income tax to the town. The housing mark

I live in a "strong town". On my modest home, I pay $8000/yr in property taxes. In addition I pay over $10,000 in local income tax to the town. The housing market is strong. Houses sell within days. The schools are excellent. The roads are well-maintained. The community center is awesome. Taxes are too high for sure, but we get outstanding services and facilities for those taxes. Galesburg is a city not a town. It can't benefit from the wealth effects of a town within 20 minute commuting distance (car and bus and light rail) of a major city. Small cities like Galesburgh can only thrive if they bring in significant outside money - usually in the form of tourism and tourist who decide to stay. I think of Bend OR as an example.

twoodfin 5y ago
$10,000 in local income tax? That’s something like double what the median U.S. household pays in Federal income tax! If that’s the kind of tax base required for a “strong town”, we’re really tilting at windmills here.
- sgerenser 5y ago
  Unless intrasight makes 1M$/year or more, that truly is an incredible income tax rate for a town.
- intrasight 5y ago
  Opps - that included state 3% income tax. Local income tax rate is 1.3% 0.3% of that goes to school - which is on top of the $5K from property tax that goes to school (the other $3k of property tax goes to both town and county)