[GGG]

My latest thought on how property tax should be assessed is that the current system is actually quite fair.

The problem with making the burbs pay their true cost is that they live in the burbs because the type of house they want is affordable there. I would perfer to live in a single detached home in sunnyside but I can't afford that so I live in Bridlewood. It also doesn't matter in terms of sprawl if I live in sunnyside or Bridlewood what really matters is how much space I take up. Living on a 60ft wide lot in sunnyside contributes more to sprawl then a person living on a 35ft wide lot in the burbs. A person living in a condo in the burbs contributes the same amount to sprawl as a person living in a similar sized unit downtown.

The density of the dwelling you live in should really be determining your taxes along with a sliding scale which charges those with more money a higher fee. Generally the current system does that and with a few tweeks might do it more effectively. Reducing taxes on Condo and town houses while increasing taxes on detached dwellings would help.

Overall I take significant issues with a belief that a single family home in the inner city 50 years old contributes less to sprawl than the same sized lot in the burbs.