Taxes again

[coffeeman]

Hi all

When I was a kid there was 5 houses on a 6 mile streach of road. Every time taxes go up it's; things are more expensive for black top. fuel etc. So it is more expensive today; to maintain that 6 mile streach of road. Therefore, those 5 houses have to pay more per house. However, there are about 35 more houses on that same 6 miles. Now, it takes 40 house taxes, at inflated rates, to run that snow plow and fix the road every few years. That's just road taxes.

I don't understand???

Cheers....Coffeeman

 

[300UGUY]

Hi all

When I was a kid there was 5 houses on a 6 mile streach of road. Every time taxes go up it's; things are more expensive for black top. fuel etc. So it is more expensive today; to maintain that 6 mile streach of road. Therefore, those 5 houses have to pay more per house. However, there are about 35 more houses on that same 6 miles. Now, it takes 40 house taxes, at inflated rates, to run that snow plow and fix the road every few years. That's just road taxes.

I don't understand???

Cheers....Coffeeman

Around here, usually a new house means more kids in the schools, that means more $$$$

 

[VA MTN MAN]

Around here, usually a new house means more kids in the schools, that means more $$$$

What everone seems to forget with the school argument is those familys with kids buy food at the store,gas at the station, movies and other activities, all money that is spent in the comunity that far over shadows the school cost. Everyone seems to want to stop development and growth but look at any old town that the young people move away from, with the school cost argument those towns should be thriving. Dosnt work that way does it.

 

[JD5210]

The county I live in the cost of education is $9,500/child/year of which the county tax payers pay $4,000. Half the county budget goes to schools, this year the school operating budget is $92 million. Interesting also is the cities to the east and west of me have far more development, then in my county, yet their tax rate is over twice that of my county. Also with development comes infrastructure cost (water, sewer, roads, electricity). A little sewer treatment plant in my county cost $10 million to built and cost the tax payers even the ones on well and septic $1 million per year. We built a gym at one school that was $8 million and did a few upgrades to another school that was $38 million.

There is NO way development pays for itself. That is why there is such a big push for proffers some have said for each house built the cost should be $30,000 to the local government.

I would much rather see the land used for farming after all it costs nothing to educate a cow.

 

[VA MTN MAN]

The county I live in the cost of education is $9,500/child/year of which the county tax payers pay $4,000. Half the county budget goes to schools, this year the school operating budget is $92 million. Interesting also is the cities to the east and west of me have far more development, then in my county, yet their tax rate is over twice that of my county. Also with development comes infrastructure cost (water, sewer, roads, electricity). A little sewer treatment plant in my county cost $10 million to built and cost the tax payers even the ones on well and septic $1 million per year. We built a gym at one school that was $8 million and did a few upgrades to another school that was $38 million.

There is NO way development pays for itself. That is why there is such a big push for proffers some have said for each house built the cost should be $30,000 to the local government.

I would much rather see the land used for farming after all it costs nothing to educate a cow.

The problems you mention are not caused by development but overspending by the school board and government officials. That gym should have probably been built for 5 million or less. Lets say an average house hold makes 50,000 dollars a year that money is going somewhere as not many people are saving it. If you think schools cost a lot try looking up what tax money is going out in subsidies to those farmers that you dont think cost you anything. My point is people think that growth and development causes the taxes to go up and in reality thats not the case. Any area that doesnt grow will die. This economic turndown and real estate crisis is a prime example.In our area the county Gov was doing everthing it could to slow development claiming the same things you were with school and infrastructer cost. Now the building is at 10 persent or less than it was but the county hasnt layed off 1 person in the departments that over see development and they are begging builders to start something. If your view was true we would all be happy with no moving foward and the taxes would be comming down.

 

[radioman]

Hi all

When I was a kid there was 5 houses on a 6 mile streach of road. Every time taxes go up it's; things are more expensive for black top. fuel etc. So it is more expensive today; to maintain that 6 mile streach of road. Therefore, those 5 houses have to pay more per house. However, there are about 35 more houses on that same 6 miles. Now, it takes 40 house taxes, at inflated rates, to run that snow plow and fix the road every few years. That's just road taxes.

I don't understand???

Cheers....Coffeeman

really? road taxes? or just diverted somewhere else?

 

[Alan L.]

The schools are spending too much on infrastructure. When I was in school the facility was functional but just fine. Nowadays every school has to have a bigger and better facility than the next district. I love high school sports but the stadiums and gyms they are building now are ridiculous. Example Allen, TX who built a $60 million football stadium. It holds about 20,000 and if you do the math if they have sellouts every game the gate proceeds won't even put a good dent on the interest payments! So it is just a net cost to the taxpayers.

Government buildings in general used to be functional, but now they have to be the best. This is where alot of the money is going.

 

[jinman]

Government buildings in general used to be functional, but now they have to be the best. This is where alot of the money is going.

I couldn't agree more. Taj Mahal school buildings don't produce educated kids. Unfortunately, many of these schools cannot be maintained on annual budgets and in a few years are falling apart. They vote bonds to build, but that doesn't guarantee ongoing maintenance. When budgets get tight, guess what gets put aside? Pretty soon the roof leaks, mold grows, and the schools start smelling like the Taj Mahal too. Taxpayers are again tapped to support "needed renovations," and the beat goes on.

 

[JD5210]

Lets not forget all additional services and crime development brings. In my county, social service staff is 75 people and a $62 million budget, which does not include Medicare, last MONTH food stamps was $826,000. Then there is $5 million sheriff. Luckily fire and rescue is partly volunteer, one fully equipped ambulance goes for half million. Very time there is a rezone I ask the developer how he/she is a benefit to the current residents, they never are willing to answer that question.

Development is simply a Ponzi scheme, the county takes the money now to pay for services for previous developments, that is why when development slows down there is a problem. The infrastructure still needs to be paid for and maintained and the big county government. This why proffers are needed.

There are far less farmers, then kids in school. If I help a farmer it maybe a few times over 18 years, but for a kid I spend $9,500/year for 18 years.

 

[dave1949]

The schools are spending too much on infrastructure. When I was in school the facility was functional but just fine. .......................

I couldn't agree more. Taj Mahal school buildings don't produce educated kids. ..............................:

It isn't just the physical school plant, sports facilities and the like that have grown. The school's mission has grown. When most of us were kids, very little was spent on special programs for the gifted or the learning disabled. There was no public school kindergarten where I grew up either.

Special education and providing for special needs children are very expensive. The way the federal law works, if a district cannot provide it locally, they foot the bill for that child to attend a special academy which could be out of state even. Some parents of special needs children make a career of demanding every little possible thing their child may possibly benefit from - or not. I understand that is their role as parents, but no one ever decided it was affordable. Schools don't even try to challenge these things in court, the law is all on the child's side.

There is also a bunch more administrative overhead now than before. As a technology directory for a public school district, my wife is an example of that. For every added program there are added admin costs, and in the case of technology, more capital, support staff, usage (connectivity, electricity for example) and maintenance costs.

Meaningful paring down of public education costs require returning to the simple, old school mission we had in the past. I don't know if that is a good choice. I suspect the right choice is somewhere in the middle.
Dave.