So ... the mayor is proposing a $7.8M tax hike, via a debt exclusion.
Funny, as someone points out in the comments appended to the online version of the story, there's been no more talk about the city employees and the GIC. This is the state's group insurance plan, entry into which last fall was not accomplished.
I thought we were supposed to hear more about it starting in January. Hmmmm, well, it's only June now and I think the deadline is once again October, so why rush things, right? Geesh
And what about that report from the Revenue Task Force? If I recall correctly (and I'm too lazy right now to look it up), the group recommended some things, such as selling city property, repealing participation in the community preservation act, instituting a solid waste collection fee, etc.
Have all these avenues been exhausted, while we weren't looking? I don't think they would necessarily add up to $7.8M but every little bit helps. And voters will be more inclined to pass a debt exclusion if they know that everything else has been done.
But again, it would upset people if there were no CPC funds available (and perhaps rightly so, but times are tough), if the Kelley School building were to be sold (what's going on with that, anyway?) and if there were to be a collection fee for trash.
I'm not necessarily knocking the mayor. He inherited a lot of crap, literally, including the landfill and bad contracts with city employees. But at a time when contracts are being re-negotiated, we need to be tough about the GIC, tough on the transportation contract for the schools (there are big old buses coming out here with 3 kids on them) and bite the bullet and impose a trash collection fee.
It maybe would encourage people to recycle. I recycle like a crazed person, and I compost. I put out one trash bag every two weeks. I'm also collecting rain water to water my garden and my heat is off for the summer, even though it's freezing in here. Guess I should close a few windows.
12 comments:
Gillian,
The state pays for busing the island students since they are beyond the 2 mile limit.
I'm not sure that non tax deductible regressive fees for trash disposal are the best way to go.
How come none of the progressives ever suggest implementing a residential property tax exemption ? Oh right, that would run afoul of the commercial property owners, landlords, and wealthy folks who run this town.
Nope, it doesn't. It's an unfunded mandate. The state pays for SpEd transport but not for the rest. I used to cover the School Committee. The district leases 10-11 full-size buses per year. Problem is, they have to use the same big buses for all grades. Although I find it hard to imagine any bus that comes out here is EVER full.
Why are you not sure of trash fees? Nearly every other community has them. Also, last fall the city was supposedly looking into sharing a solid waste disposal contract w/Amesbury. Never heara more about that, either.
Amesbury has a split tax rate and it is having a hard time attracting businesses there. You want residents to not have to pay taxes? Is that what you're saying?
This is one of the issues for which I have a most difficult and incomplete understanding, to wit: why are people so unwilling to pay their taxes? Are they of the opinion that government-supplied services are somehow free or greatly discounted? Now Bubba is suggesting that people not pay property taxes on their homes, and yet they consume the services of the Water Department, the Police and Fire Departments, and some share of the fine public schools that have turned out the current version of American graduates (whom through their utter stupidity and fondness for only 'wigger' clothing have given me the great opportunity to enter, work within and become a citizen of the USA!).
Now yes, the government surely must enforce the concept of 'efficiency', and preferably not the efficient spending of my sweatily-earned tax dollars. They are, however, swung by the heels by the same inflationary forces that have made me have to downgrade my tastes, and therefore occasionally the government must *raise taxes*.
In my hometown (Jastanafari, if you must know) not only must we pay our taxes in order to enjoy the stream of pure water that issues from the public irrigation spigot in the town square but if we have no money the government can take one of our goats. Imagine how your typical American deviate libertarian hippy would react to that!! They would be outraged and rather suffer the consequences of losing such government services as free college education, assured retirement benefits and medical care rather than surrender the goat. Of course, perhaps if you DID surrender the goats you would have the last three items; instead you have neither the services NOR the goats, yet you whine. Feh.
- Mahatma Kote.
P.S. During my trip to Provincetown I learned a great many things about the morals of the American people, none of which are repeatable on this fine website. I will tell you that when I returned I called in sick at work and then prayed for three days straight, yet God has not purged the knowledge of the lesbian 'tramp stamp' from my mind. Surely I am cursed to be surrounded by such low-moraled infidels, especially the one who dressed like a fine woman but only revealed to me after several hours that she retained a penis. Damn my eyes.
Good point about the taxes, ummm, Mahatma. I agree! In the state where I lived previously, one paid state and federal taxes and also city taxes. If you lived in one city but worked in another, you paid taxes to both (less to the one where you worked).
Sorry you were disappointed in Provincetown.
Gillian,
I'm talking about a residential exemption, not a split rate. It allows owner occupants to deduct a fixed percentage of the median home price from their property tax bill (usually 15-30% of the median). Its aim is to make the property tax more progressive. It also excludes income generating properties (commercial, industrial, and rental properties).
Boston, Cambridge, and Waltham and others all have such exemptions.
As for trash fees, they are a regressive tax that is not tax deductible. It disproportially burdens the less affulent.
My taxes would go UP under such a system, but I support it as my taxes subsidizing the less well off rather than Mr Karp and the Range Rover crowd as they currently do.
If you'd like to educate yourself, you can follow this link to the City of Boston's guide.
http://www.cityofboston.gov/assessing/pdfs/res_exemp_FY08.pdf
Bubba,
I knew you weren't talking about a split rate; I was just using that as an example of commercial entities avoiding places where they might feel they are being "overtaxed."
I'll educate myself on the residential exemption.
I think Amesbury's problem with attracting business has little to do with its split tax rate. For the last decade the tax burden has shifted in all communities towards residential property.
Well, Bubba, I kind of disagree. I interviewed the owner of a business that moved its headquarters to NBPT last year, and he specifically cited the single tax rate as his incentive to move here, over Amesbury - and in fact anywhere else with a split tax rate.
Well, Bubba, I kind of disagree. I interviewed the owner of a business that moved its headquarters to NBPT last year, and he specifically cited the single tax rate as his incentive to move here, over Amesbury - and in fact anywhere else with a split tax rate.
Well that settles it then, one business moved - case closed.
Property taxes are but one of many factors that go into deciding where to locate a business - but I'm sure you know that.
But we digress, and as I stated originally, I support a residential exemption, not a split rate.
Yeah, I know that. If I remember correctly, a good school system was the #1 determining factor that businesses take into consideration, followed by tax incentives.
OK, so I've now sort of educated myself on residential exemptions.
Don't think it will work here; city's too small and relies too much on property taxes for revenue.
How's that?
How does size or reliance on property taxes matter ? It simply makes the burden more progressive.
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