Sidewalk Tax

The sidewalk at the residential property where our small group meets needed to be fixed. There is a large tree out front and it had been tearing up the tiled sidewalk. Though many of the sidewalks in our city are a menace to walk on (let alone push a stroller along), we didn't want ours to be one of them. One of the interesting things that I learned as we began to repair it is that, as property owners, we are responsible for the repair of the sidewalk but also pay a "sidewalk tax" to the municipality. Doesn't really make that much sense, does it?