For one thing, I’m just an Indiana boy who tends to be on the conservative side on a lot of issues. But after covering county government on and off for 20 years, I think it’s time we do away with the property tax system, which is extremely complicated for everyone even those who are charged with making it work.

Some contend the system is unfair and perhaps even illegal. I’ve seen county officials struggling daily to try to put together all the information they need to make the system work. It’s no wonder tax bills have begun to arrive later and later each year.There are other ways we could fund government services.

I‘ve never agreed with the Europeans on many issues, but I do like the idea of a value added tax where everyone pays a 20 percent tax on any purchase they make. That means if you want to buy a $100,000 car, you pay $20,000. If I only want to spend $10,000 on a car, I pay $2,000. It sure seems like a far better and less complicated system than our present property tax system with its many loopholes.

I’d even be willing to pay more income tax if I didn’t have to pay property taxes. I’m not offering any new solutions, but I think the property tax system has come to the end of its usefulness.