Post by mikekerstetter on Mar 26, 2011 4:46:48 GMT -5
www.sungazette.com/page/content.detail/id/561564/Non-resident-tax-fits-municipal-services.html?nav=5004
Non-resident tax fits municipal services
March 17, 2011
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Believe it or not, some taxes actually make sense.
In Williamsport and some other municipalities in the region, the population is exponentially larger during normal work hours as workers come from other places to do their jobs.
The municipality has fire and police services geared to that and incurs other costs, such as wear and tear on the infrastructure, that are greater because of that daily population influx.
An earned-income tax on non-residents, such as that enacted by the Loyalsock Township supervisors last week, makes sense in view of the municipality's added services and staffing prompted by the daily non-resident working population.
In the case of Loyalsock, the tax is .5 percent, modest but nonetheless a contribution.
Loyalsock is the 12th municipality in Lycoming County to enact a non-resident tax. While the money is returned to the municipality where the worker lives, that wouldn't matter if all municipalities in the county had this tax.
So we agree with Mark Hess, tax examiner for the Williamsport Area School District Municipal and School Earned Income Tax Office, that other municipalities should consider the tax.
In a perfect world, the tax levy would be modest, enough to cover the estimated costs for provided services to non-resident workers. And in an even more perfect world, other nuisance taxes would be cut or eliminated.
Unfortunately, governments can't function without tax revenues.
But we can demand elected officials at all levels make those taxes reasonable and practical and based on services provided, not a catch-all to cover a lack of spending discipline.
Non-resident tax fits municipal services
March 17, 2011
Save | Bookmark and Share
Believe it or not, some taxes actually make sense.
In Williamsport and some other municipalities in the region, the population is exponentially larger during normal work hours as workers come from other places to do their jobs.
The municipality has fire and police services geared to that and incurs other costs, such as wear and tear on the infrastructure, that are greater because of that daily population influx.
An earned-income tax on non-residents, such as that enacted by the Loyalsock Township supervisors last week, makes sense in view of the municipality's added services and staffing prompted by the daily non-resident working population.
In the case of Loyalsock, the tax is .5 percent, modest but nonetheless a contribution.
Loyalsock is the 12th municipality in Lycoming County to enact a non-resident tax. While the money is returned to the municipality where the worker lives, that wouldn't matter if all municipalities in the county had this tax.
So we agree with Mark Hess, tax examiner for the Williamsport Area School District Municipal and School Earned Income Tax Office, that other municipalities should consider the tax.
In a perfect world, the tax levy would be modest, enough to cover the estimated costs for provided services to non-resident workers. And in an even more perfect world, other nuisance taxes would be cut or eliminated.
Unfortunately, governments can't function without tax revenues.
But we can demand elected officials at all levels make those taxes reasonable and practical and based on services provided, not a catch-all to cover a lack of spending discipline.
