Because the guy living in a mobile home shouldn't have to pay the same costs as the guy living in the cul-de-sac in the gated community in a million dollar house on 2.5 acres. He doesn't use the same amount of services, and he damn well doesn't have the same means to pay. There's a reason we use a progressive income tax system, just as we use differing property values as a proxy for a graduated local tax.
Why not take the total cost and divide it by the number of residents?
Oh you mean like taxes?
Because the guy living in a mobile home shouldn't have to pay the same costs as the guy living in the cul-de-sac in the gated community in a million dollar house on 2.5 acres. He doesn't use the same amount of services, and he damn well doesn't have the same means to pay. There's a reason we use a progressive income tax system, just as we use differing property values as a proxy for a graduated local tax.