When the tax base is lower, there is less money for tree and sidewalk maintenance, fixing underground utilities due to invasive tree roots, removing storm-damaged tree limbs, pruning limbs that obstruct traffic lights or stop signs, lawsuits from kids climbing in city trees and falling out, gunmen or drug dealers hiding behind trees, etc.
Yep. Take Baltimore. Their city property tax rate (2.24%) is actually HIGHER than my combined state-county-town rate!
Also, their income tax rate is 3.2%. Compare that to my own county (2.98%). I mean, Baltimore is even higher than Monkey Canny (3.05%)! What a cluster!