Local tax policy: a federalist perspective

Abstract

Local governments across the United States are struggling to raise revenue to pay for public services. Increased demands by citizens for more and better services; the ever-rising costs of providing services; and a plethora of legal and political restrictions on raising tax revenue have left many American local governments in dire fiscal straits. The problem is that the fiscal autonomy of local governments has been declining for several decades. By ceding financial control to the states, localities cede political control over their affairs. Paralleling this loss of financial and political control, local governments are losing control over the property tax, their most stable and reliable source of revenue. In Local Tax Policy, David Brunori examines America?s local tax system; its theory, operation, and politics. He explores the roots of the current fiscal crisis, and evaluates various relief proposals. Finally, Brunori champions the property tax, offering a blueprint for strengthening this oft-maligned instrument and returning the tax autonomy that has been vital to the success of the American political and economic systems.