Before the income tax, the US pretty much only did property tax.
The core problem of high tax is high spending. If the spending were reasonable, the taxataion rates would not be tyrannical.
The problem w/the current income tax is that it’s not flat, but property taxes currently are.
Of course, folks could advocate a fed sales tax (VAT) but unforntunately, in today’s tyranny, that would only get added to the portfolio of gov’t income and not result in a reduction of income or property tax.
Per the mayor, he should check to see if he can get a partial exemption for age (he may already have, I don’t know). I think states w/onerous property tax have large credits for retirees.
Or, you can just move. No-income-tax states make up income through property and sales tax. So what you could do is live in a high property tax state w/low or no income tax and when you retire, move to a high income tax, low property tax state.
Since I don’t see the gov’t cutting spending anytime soon, this is pretty much what folks are going to have to do.
Of course, the mayor could just arm himself and say “make me leave” when they come to take his property away.
At least in that case, he will get his wish of living AND dying on his property.
NJ is legend for high property taxes. My uncle at 85 was forced out of his home too, his SS and meager pension did not cover his home costs to such an extent his son was paying most of them for him. He was paying each quarter what I was paying in NE florida each year for homes of equal value. Plus there is an income tax there.
One has to wonder where does all the money go? Each county is responsible for its welfare, not the state. Schools are locally funded too (they generally eat up about 50% of a combined RE Tax Bill). Rood tolls everywhere too. So, aside from keeping Christie in doughnuts, where does the rest go??