property taxes

In this essay you are mainly focused at the local level. Notice that you are

reading pieces addressing property taxes, local finances, housing markets, and

trying to figure out how they all fit together—which is what I want you to do in

this assignment.

 You will notice how the housing market affects property taxes and, in turn,

that affects school district budgets. Property taxes are a major concern at the

local government level. One of the pieces you will open shows you how much

local governments depend on the property tax.

 As a result of working your way through these readings, what can say about

the financial squeeze placed on local governments (which also means placed on

school districts)? You will see how much local governments and school districts

rely on the property tax. How do you look at the housing market in the context of

these readings? What you think the future (maybe the next few years) holds for

local governments and school districts?

GUIDELINES FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT

1) Your paper should be a minimum of five typed pages

2) I do want you to develop a chart using EXCEL. I have a piece titled

INFORMATION ON HOUSING PRICE CHANGES. Develop your chart by using

the data for ST LOUIS, KANSAS CITY, and SPRINGFIELD in Missouri in that

piece. Begin the data with 2007 2 (that means the second quarter in 2007).

There is a piece titled USING EXCEL FOR YOUR CHART, so information is in

there on how to do your chart.

3) There are several other pieces that are just filled with data, which can help

you in writing your essay, MEDIAN PRICE SALES OF NEW HOMES SOLD, and,

LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES AS A PERCENTAGE OF LOCAL TAX REVENUE. So

here is where you have just data that you can rely upon to write your essay,

not just the readings I have given you.