Currently, he is Director of Research and Development at Laureate Learning Systems, a company which develops software for children with special needs. Should Replace Act 60 Just about everyone seems to agree that all Vermont children ought have equal access to excellent education, and most people don t seem to mind paying for it. One of my many concerns has to do with tax fairness. Many millions of our tax dollars are to be redistributed under Act 60 using a formula based on equal property tax rates. I think the formula is grossly unfair and harmful to many communities.
Property values are inherently difficult to measure.
Not only is every property unique, but the value assigned to each property derives from an assortment of capricious market forces, including residents views about what a home and community should be. Absolute value is not really important because the tax rate is simply adjusted up or down to yield the sum that people have agreed to spend for local purposes. Spending, of course, is restrained by residents ability to pay. Moreover, this absolute measure of property value is presumed to somehow reflect the actual ability of the owner-taxpayer to pay. These presumptions simply cannot be defended.