Every year, school districts around Yakima County struggle with finances, whether it's trouble winning voter-approved levies for maintenance and operations or bond issues for new construction. Revenue from property taxes just doesn't seem to go far enough for schools and many other government functions, from county roads and fire districts to the library system, emergency medical services and flood control. The Yakima Herald-Republic has examined what policy analysts consider a big hole in the property tax program: exemptions. There are 103 exemptions enjoyed by various entities. While many have a purpose the public embraces, these exemptions effectively shift the burden to other taxpayers, creating an equity problem
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