High residential property taxes often occur when the commercial segment of a community is under developed or not developed in a way that serves the entire community. Most of the factors that raise the property tax rate are the result of decisions made by local boards, with little consideration as to possible unintended consequences. Here is a run-down of common actions (or inactions) that tend to saddle municipalities with increasingly high residential property taxes.

A. Don’t provide appropriate housing for adult singles, the fifty percent of the population who tend to support local restaurants, bars, entertainment and arts events. To keep taxes high, be sure to pass restrictive ordinances on studio rentals and accessory apartments in private homes that could serve the housing needs of single people, many of whom are over age fifty. Homeowners living on site can assure that these rooms would not be abused by overcrowding, and older citizens are encouraged to stay in the community by renting a room or two.
B. Don’t set aside housing for artists as that would make them feel welcome in your community. Don’t promote the arts activities that do occur in your community as that would encourage growth in the commercial sector which tends to lower taxes. A community cannot be successful without a thriving arts presence, as evident in Peekskill.
C. Reduce the number of trees in the downtown because they create an inviting ambience, encouraging people to hang out and support your local businesses. Trees enhance an urban setting by providing welcome shade while cleaning the air pollution caused by vehicular traffic – one tree per four cars is considered a proper ratio.
D. Make sure that cars are the only way to get around town. Don’t provide jitneys connecting the train station to the downtown or to residential areas as that would lower traffic congestion and demand for parking. Condo developments with a jitney to the station have allowed people to give up their second car, a big economic benefit.
E. Be sure to remove small local businesses so that big box stores like CVS and Walgreens can move in. These large national chain stores traditionally provide a lower per square foot tax rate than the businesses they replace, shifting a further tax burden onto residents.
F. Finally, make sure the main road through town is designed for speed rather than a street that encourages one to stop, park and explore your town. Make sure that there is inadequate parking in front of the struggling businesses on that highway. This discourages further development of this invaluable commercial real estate, again increasing the tax burden on residential properties.

Decisions surrounding most of the points above are made locally. If nothing is done to turn these situations around, they are sure to produce yet higher residential taxes. However, they can be reconsidered by the community and its elected officials.