It’s that time of year again – the time we pay our municipal taxes.

It often feels like quite a burden to many taxpayers, because they pay the entire sum at one time. While many people pay their taxes monthly along with their mortgage payments, a great number do not.

For those on a fixed income, property taxes can be a real burden. Do we get our money’s worth from the property taxes we pay? On balance, I believe we do.

Most taxpayers in Surrey and Delta are probably paying $2,500 to $4,000 in property taxes this year. Many White Rock taxpayers pay more – taxes there are higher than in most other cities.

While many taxpayers say the property tax bills we get indicates wasteful spending by the municipal governments, it’s important to break down just where the money goes.

On my 2009 tax bill, about 60 per cent of the total taxes levied goes to the city. Another 30 per cent or so (the net amount, after the homeowner grant from the province is deducted) goes to the school district.

The remaining 10 per cent or so goes to TransLink, Metro Vancouver, the B.C. Assessment Authority and the Municipal Finance Authority (which hit me up for 19 cents in taxes this year). Of that 10 per cent, almost 75 per cent goes to TransLink, whose share of the property tax bill has gone up faster than any other agency.

When one takes a closer look at the amount that goes to the city (in my case, Surrey), some of it is for garbage and recycling – in my case, close to 10 per cent of the total. It is also important to note that there are separate bills for water and sewer service.

The actual amount of my total tax bill that goes to Surrey for police, fire service, roads and other government services is about 55 per cent of my total property tax bill. In my view, that is pretty good value for money.

Compare this amount to what we pay each year to the provincial and federal governments. While it may not feel like much because most of us have income taxes deducted at source, most people pay far more in income taxes than we do in property taxes.

We also pay a great amount in sales tax to both the federal and provincial governments, with some of that tax (particularly on gas) well hidden from view.

Do we get as much service from those governments? The province pays for most of the school system (not counting our property taxes), and both levels of government pay for the health system – the most expensive part of government by far. But a lot of the money we pay to both levels of governments is spent on less-than-useful measures.

The services we get  from our local cities are services we use every day. We drive on the roads, dispose of our garbage and sewage, and turn on the taps. We call on police and fire services when we need them. The roads are paved, recreation services are available to all and libraries offer many services, all at no extra cost to us.

Cities deserve criticism on occasion, in this corner and from others. But dollar for dollar, they provide the most efficient form of government we have.

While accountability isn’t as good in Surrey as it is in Delta or White Rock – due to the size of the city and the apathy of many citizens – it is still possible to place a phone call to the mayor or a senior official and speak to them.

Try calling the prime minister some time.

Yes, property taxes are a burden to some, but we do get value for the money spent.

Frank Bucholtz writes Fridays for the Peace Arch News. He is the editor of the Langley Times.