ASSESSED VALUATION
The amount of real and personal property reflects taxable "wealth"
or tax base and is used as an indicator of overall economic health.
Taxes are levied on the real and personal property and the dollars
generated are used to provide essential community services such as
police and fire, schools, and infrastructure repairs. The ability
to maintain or increase property taxes indicates a healthy community.
In communities with little or no available land for development, the
tax base will be limited and will not generate the amount of resources
needed to offer a full range of community services and amenities.
As a result, population and businesses tend to move to areas that
have land and services to offer. This makes it even harder for the
developed communities to retain or regain its tax base.
Areas that experience growth, primarily from the migration of people
and jobs into the community, increase their tax base immeasurably
as vacant land is developed. The developed land begins to accrue taxes,
which in turn allows the community to offer more services and amenities
to its residents. However, as the population increases, there is pressure
to attract industrial development, rather than residential or commercial
development, which require more services than the taxes they provide.
The following map shows the NOACA counties, the percentage change
in assessed valuation between 1990 and 1996, and the population increase
or decrease for the same period.
