Residents Paying for Utility Poles

Expert, localized Los Angeles answers provided by Heather Roy

Residents Paying for Utility Poles
	I live in a relatively new development in Columbus, Kansas and I have recently asked the city council if they will provide us with street lighting.They have said that they will pay for the installation and the electric bill,and they are asking the residents to pay for the utility poles and lights plus any additional costs. My question is shouldn't the city council bear the total cost of street lighting since they collect taxes from us?Thank you.

	Yes, they do collect taxes from you, and my bet is that they'll be collecting more, in the form of what is known as a "special assessment" tax, on just the owners in your development. That's often done when some improvement is going to benefit only a relatively small group of taxpayers, and the cost is usually spread over a few years, after which the special assessment tax drops off. The idea is that it's not fair to use money from all the taxpayers in the town just to benefit the folks in that special district.
	Edith Originally published on June 24, 2007

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