More ‘Fees’ - The Property Manager Per Unit Tax

I ran across an article today in the Colorado Springs Gazette entitled, “A ‘fee’ on renters,” In it, it explains how Colorado Springs law enforcement has proposed a bill that would penalize owners of rental properties with a new ‘fee’ that could be passed along to renters.

“The fee, of course, would be nothing other than a special new tax on one select group of property owners and residents. A fee, by its nature, is the voluntary cost of enjoying a privilege or service. Yet one who owns an apartment building would have no option but to pay the fee in order to continue owning the property. And no, property ownership isn’t a privilege. It is an absolute right as defined by the Constitution.

The code enforcement unit is likely to be eliminated because of anticipated 2010 budget cuts. The proposed $1 per rental unit fee would generate about $780,000 and preserve the agency.”

What do you think? Should there be an addition ‘fee’ to help support select government agencies?