there’s another approach that cities use all the time: the general assessment. If the local government does an infrastructure project that improves the value of a property by $10,000, they may levy an assessment on that property for up to $10,000. There’s dual logic to this: It protects property owners from arbitrary taxation by requiring a real improvement in value for the landowner, and it protects the public by having a mechanism preventing public dollars from enriching individuals.
