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Old 12-14-2017, 11:25 AM   #99
AC2717
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couple of thoughts to this topic:

Budget - the town needs to reel in spending (every town does) but what amazing me is the tax rate is adjusted one way and the market controls your value another way- fact of the matter is your property is only worth what someone is willing to pay at that particular point in time. One day my place could be worth $50k another day it could be worth $200k. By the town using market value are they willing to buy your place for that amount of money?
when Town needs (wants) more money only way to get it is taxes - for some reason its the only "business" that can afford to operate at a loss repeatedly and stay in business.

Very few towns even in MA have high property values with high taxes, The City of Boston has an extremely low property tax and values are high and it still has a number of services, you still don't even have to pay extra to put your trash out and they take everything, and I mean everything. It is very rare that market values are not impacted by the property taxes on them. Go to any town and look at the asking or selling price of a property and then look at the taxes - in my town for example home prices are relatively cheaper than average in MA, but the tax rate is in the top 5 in the state. 1700 sqft home on a 1/4arce will hit you with $6,600 in taxes and a purchase value of mid $300k, or $550 a month. Now add that to the mortgage of about $2,200 or so and you are now looking at $2,750 a month and then utilities, repairs, insurance, and other life expenses. - We actually choose to rent in our town because it is way cheaper annually to live at this point in time (spare me the you don't own it speech and I will spare you look at the total amount you are paying for your property over time speech)- the days of buying a property for $300k and selling it for $600k in less than 20 years are over.
take the same property with a lower tax rate, and the seller could get more for the house - which translates to them spending more in the economy generating more income all around instead of money just going to the town and it disappearing.

now take the 2nd home market that is a topic in this thread - in Laconia and Belknap county. - 2nd home - if not buying cash - loans are very hard to obtain and at a much higher rate - a ding against the market value, if in a condo or cottage association (we own in a cottage association in Laconia)depending on when it was formed the County makes you put a provision in your bylaws that say it cannot be used as your primary residence, and in turn are "not supposed" to occupy year round and therefore rent it year round to one person you could not make it your primary residence even if you wanted to - so now we are paying taxes on services that we cannot use, cannot vote in the town and again a ding to the market value, and if you are an out of state person you are treated like one even though you pay your "Fare Share" of local taxes - ding on market value. - All the way trying to better yourself and they punish you at every turn, I do not need to be rewarded from others for me trying to have success in my life, but I should not be hit harder because I chose to work 3 jobs my whole life to get where I am today, and everyone else can choose to do this as well.

"taxation without representation"
Why am I not able to vote in local elections? Voiced concerns actually heard(opinion)? I understand national elections like Presidential, US Senate and Congress races, but for local and state level there should be no reason that you should not be able to partake especially because you pay taxes and what is done has a direct affect on your property, its value and your own well being. One town has nothing to do with another town when it comes to operation. Yes I chose to purchase the property and all these issues that come with it, I am not debating that fact - when Laconia was operating with town meetings the tide was a very different one from today with balloting -

Long and Short - Every town, especially Laconia, should be held by their constituents to a standard of a realistic budget much like people have to run their households, but when they are un-checked by voting - and all these "waterfront" properties that non-Laconia residents own, you pit the residences of the town against the non residents and with the residents being the only ones with a voice, it is forcing the burden on the non residents, and will continue to do so because the residents are left alone, unaffected by the town decisions monetarily, this will not change, at the end of the day it boils down to your pocket your hand vs your pocket town's hand.

Simple Economic fact that cannot be disputed - less taxation generates more spending and savings wealth, and that spending is real estate, goods and services, you name it, all which benefits the community as a whole (from banks, to dunkin donuts, to the 15 year old mowing lawns). Savings wealth is used at a later date for a "rainy day" or passed to generations to use, and most likely put into savings plans that hopefully generate future wealth that is then taxed accordingly and generates more.
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