Is your property becomming an ATM device for local government?

Local and State Governments must stop looking to property owners for funding. Property taxes are out of control. A few years ago when I stopped to vote in a local election after work I met a few ladies outside of our local polling place asking me to vote yes to allow property taxes to be increased 'a very small amount' to start up a township library. Now, please understand I am not opposed to libraries. I am opposed to raising our property taxes to accomplish one. I explained my position to them and they replied "but it is just a small amount of money". What they failed to realize is that once voters vote yes to a new tax no matter how small the amount, increases will certainly follow and before you know it our property taxes have inched higher and higher. It is unlikely that property taxes will totally disappear, however, if property owners do not take a stand to limit the increases, we will be in a place where our property will not belong to us, but to the government. And when it is time to retire without a mortgage payment, we will not be able to stay in our homes because property taxes will eat up whatever we set aside to live on. The school district I live in recently put up a question in the polls, asking for a property tax hike to fund huge improvements to an already over-the-top school district with already very high school taxes. The voters spoke - "no" ! Good job you say? Well, I recently found out the school district went ahead and borrowed the money anyway. In another township nearby, members of the board approved a purchase of some land and paid approximately $6,000,000 for it for a township ball park. I am not certain if they consulted with any experts before moving ahead. The lands are obviously wet lands and the cost to purchase came to $100,000 an acre, which was way above the actual value. No one on that township committee figured into the equation how much money it would cost to develop it into a ball park and the almost $60,000 per year to maintain it. Local residents are very upset - but the damage is already done. In today's economic times, townships and school districts must be dilligent in spending money and should look at where cuts can be made to keep property taxes at a minimum. Our properties should not be local government's personal ATM machines - available to tap into whenever someone comes up with a "good idea"! However, they will continue to do so, unless property owners put a stop to it!