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KATY SUGA R LAN D RICHM OND ROSE NBER G MISS OURI CITY STAF FORD MEAD OWS PLAC E
T
he yearly obligation to the IRS for most people in Fort Bend and probably across the nation has probably been met for the latest tax filing year for those working and earning income. Given the amount of federal spending, the deficit and debt on the books, of particular interest is the suggestion that tax time should be close to election time – i.e. moving the tax filing deadline from April 15th to November, and there’s a bill that’s been introduced in Congress towards that end. The intention behind it is to help people realize what their taxes are paying for and that could even encourage more of them to vote, maybe even differently. The tax filing deadline, April 15th and Election Day in November are over a half year apart, and by the time people vote, according to those pushing the tax filing date change, they say taxpayers probably do not remember how much they paid in taxes in order to make more deliberate voting decisions about their concurrence or otherwise about how their money was spent. Locally, Fort Bend taxes are due at the end of each calendar year. Elections at the city government level are held mostly in May and some of them, like for county positions, take place in November, unless some kind of special election is called. The local elections are nonpartisan, which means the candidates do not appear on the ballot aligned with a political party. But with some effort, the candidate’s party affiliation may be made known. In Fort Bend, there’s hasn’t been any known
FORT
By Elsa Maxey
BEND
Where did your tax money go?
talk about linking the local, nonpartisan elections to the calendar year tax filing deadlines, although the topic comes up every now and then about the May elections being held in November. For now, the elections and tax payment dates are set in stone both at the federal and local levels and if warranted, that proverbial stone could be broken up in the future. With so many impending elections, it’s a good time to take a look at where your tax dollars are being spent. Your elected officials are acting on your behalf, and if you’re in agreement with their action, then all is well. If not, take notice. On Whitehouse.gov, taxpayers are given an opportunity to view what is called “Your 2013 Federal Taxpayer Receipt.” With some information entries, a breakdown will show how an individual’s tax dollars are spent in areas like education, health care and other areas of expenditures. In light of how much taxpayers collectively pay for public services, they should be able to influence how their government spends their money. The following pie charts are for some selected local governments and they are intended to keep taxpayers in the know as the approved budgets corresponding to all of them are posted online. Here’s a brief look. May 2014 H Fort Bend / Katy Business Journal
SUGAR LAND Expenditures by Type Airport Services 9%
Other 10%
General Gov't 9% Community Services 9%
Utility Services 12%
Public Safety 15%
Construction 18%
Debt Service 18%
Source: City of Sugar Land 2014 approved budget
KATY 2013-14 Total Expenditures
$18,701,315 Visit www.cityofkaty.com for complete budget summary for City of Katy total expenditure