In 1957, Jamaica converted its property tax from one based on the capital value of land and all improvements, to one based on just the unimproved value of land, i.e., to a land value tax. The adoption of the unimproved value of land as the base for Jamaica’s property tax was based on the 1944...

We examine the effect of a state-funded property tax homestead exemptions on the burden of property taxes. This class of exemptions is characterized by a grant from the state to local governments that is intended to replace the reduction in property tax revenue due to the exemption. The median...

Many previous studies have examined the level of state grants to local K-12 school districts. However, these studies have not considered the role of citizen "trust" in state versus local governments as a factor. We hypothesize that the role of the state in funding education reflects citizen...

Historically, local governments in the United States have relied on the property tax as one of their main sources of own-source revenues. However, the recent collapse of housing prices and the resulting negative impact on local government budgets suggest that it may be opportune to rethink this...

This paper presents an extended argument that the public’s feelings towards the property tax are based on an underlying legitimate concern over the fairness of market value taxation. While other factors may certainly operate, both the public opinion polls and taxpayer actions can be partially...