Too many taxes

“Too many taxes,” Carmel Pine Cone—Oct. 7, 2022

Measure Q is a parcel tax on landowners to fund childcare. While on the surface this is a laudable goal, the tax is unfairly allocated to homeowners. This tax will principally benefit the agriculture and the hospitality industries. Ag parcels are exempt from the tax. North County homeowners (who incidentally are mostly middle class) pay Cabrillo College bond fees, Pajaro Valley Unified School District bonds, Monterey County Zone 1A fees, North County Fire fees, North County EMS fees, mosquito abatement fees, Pajaro Valley Water Management fees, and EMS ambulance fees. There are 22 line items of taxes and fees.

While a $49-per-year childcare fee seems negligible, it is yet another fee tacked on to overburdened taxpayers. Truly, death by 1,000 cuts.

The childcare tax should be levied on all residents, not just those that have property. The proponents of the tax know that people are for taxes that other people pay. They also know that a parcel tax only targets certain landowners and has a greater chance of success as many of the constituents will not be subject to the tax. This is an unfair tax and should be voted down. I support a fair tax to fund childcare, but this tax is anything but fair.

Steve Snodgrass, Royal Oaks