A historic target of the GOP is now costing it the suburbs as it throws the party way out of synch with modern voters, a lifelong Republican argued Tuesday.
In a growing trend among conservative politicians, leaders like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene are hammering property taxes, backed by high-profile supporters like Elon Musk. It's a fight that's far from new for the party.
Libertarian arguments against property taxes frame them as "paying rent to the government for property you already own," portraying such taxes as inherently illegitimate, wrote Aaron M. Renn, a writer and hardcore Republican from Indiana, in a New York Times essay.
But, he warned. the property tax revolt represents a potentially strategic mistake for the Republican Party.
"Over the past couple of decades, there’s been a sea change among college-educated suburbanites when it comes to their expectations from local government," he wrote.
Suburban voters have undergone a significant transformation in their expectations of local government. "They don't want a night watchman state that does the bare minimum," the he wrote. Modern suburbanites expect high-quality public services, including "modern playgrounds and trail networks" and "a bustling walkable downtown."
Contrary to his party's assumptions, suburban voters are now willing to support tax measures that improve community infrastructure. In strongly Republican areas like Saratoga Springs, Utah, and Medina County, Ohio, voters have approved tax levies for parks and recreation, demonstrating a nuanced approach to local funding, he pointed out.
Renn's home of Carmel, Indiana, exemplifies this suburban sensibility, he wrote. A Republican stronghold that has "built more than 150 roundabouts, virtually eliminating traffic congestion," the city represents a model of effective public investment. Its extensive trail networks, public art, and innovative infrastructure have made it a recurring entry on national "best cities" lists.
However, prominent Republicans are "waging war on the revenue model that powers" such community improvements, potentially alienating educated suburban voters who have increasingly shifted leftward. By pandering to retired baby boomers eager to reduce their tax burden, the party risks losing crucial demographic support, he warned.
"It's great that the Republican Party has expanded its reach to the working class," the analysis warns, "but it's not good to be losing the suburban professional one." This potential electoral loss could significantly impact the party's future, especially when Trump is no longer driving voter turnout.
The critique argued that rhetoric about eliminating property taxes might appeal to boomer retirees, but actually implementing such policies would be "the Republican Party eating its demographic seed corn for the future."
Ultimately, the piece suggested that Republicans should celebrate successful models like Carmel, which demonstrate how strategic public investment can improve community quality of life while maintaining relatively low property tax rates.