For a bit there, I was pretty excited about a bill being considered in Cheyenne. 

The thought of no longer paying property taxes? Sign me up. 

House Bill 204 failed on third reading in the House last week after being well watered down from its original proposal. And, yes, there were valid reasons for people to vote against the bill, especially at the end when amendments had turned it into more of a tax relief bill than a property tax elimination for 97% of residents. 

However, at its heart, I believe there’s been no better solution to the issue of skyrocketing property taxes (mine are up nearly 50% the last two years) than to eliminate said taxes for everyone owning a house worth under $1 million. 

And I am more than willing to give up more sales tax (the original bill raised it 2%) to accomplish that goal, because it just isn’t right that you should have to pay taxes on something you own. 

That’s been instilled in me ever since I was a kid and my dad was handed from his grandfather a little cabin in the Laramie Mountains near Douglas that had been in the family for more than 100 years. It was the last remnant of a large family ranch in the area that had been sold out from under the family. So, it’s a part of the family and most definitely something that we want to hold onto (my dad told his children he’d haunt us if we did sell it).

Anyway, when I was young and dumb after college, living on pennies and considering the path of starving author, I always held out the possibility that, whatever happened in my life, I would always have the cabin. I could live off the land, farm and fish and hunt, and be just fine. 

Then I realized the ugly truth of property taxes, that this little family cabin stays our family cabin only so long as we keep paying property taxes, which have been rising recently down in Converse County nearly as quickly as up here in Park. Luckily, my dad is very much able to pay property taxes now, but someday that’ll be partly up to me to ensure those payments continue and this piece of family history stays in the family. 

Now, having a mortgage on our place outside Ralston, property taxes still aren’t fun, but have seemed less of an issue as they’re just rolled into escrow and part of  the monthly payment. I can handle it so far, but I’d sure enjoy paying less each month. But our family cabin is different. This place and some of the roughly 11 acres have been paid off since well before even my father was born. If this bill is reconsidered next year and passes, I won’t have to worry that, regardless of my situation, that little cabin will always remain in the family.