Your yearly property taxes are for the services provided by your town, county, or state. Depending on where you live, those services may include police, fire fighters, paramedics/EMTs, road paving and maintenance, flood control, wildfire training and response, trash pickup, snow plowing, public schools, teachers, local libraries, parks and parks services, dam control and maintenance, a community center, the town hall, salaries for the mayor, town clerk, local judge, purchase and maintenance of all the equipment needed for the above - fire trucks and outfits, ambulances and medical supplies, computers and specialized software, school buildings and supplies - the list is nearly endless. That's what your property taxes go to, and that's why you have to pay them every year.