Affordable Housing in Keene, and starving the beast.

[Mark_FTL]

I had a dream last night that inspired me to write this.

Keene Affordable Housing and Low Income Relief

A homestead tax exemption will be created. Exempted from tax calculations will be an amount equal to seventy five percent of the median sales price of homes in Keene. Blah blah blablah blah blab, yadda yadda so on and so on.  Blah blah blablah blah blab, yadda yadda so on and so on.  Blah blah blablah blah blab, yadda yadda so on and so on.  Under no circumstances will any government entity be allowed to use force, the courts or police to confiscate property, homes, dwellings or domiciles in Keene, New Hampshire.

It is intended to sound very attractive to the average voter here in Keene and to slash revenue for the Overlords. Obviously it will require the attentions of a lawyer to make it bullet proof. But I particularly like the idea of using the evil one's tactics against them, as in the last line. If they aren't allowed to use the force to confiscate property, them taxes become voluntary.

Thoughts?

[FrankChodorov]

I had a dream last night that inspired me to write this.

Keene Affordable Housing and Low Income Relief

A homestead tax exemption will be created. Exempted from tax calculations will be an amount equal to seventy five percent of the median sales price of homes in Keene. Blah blah blablah blah blab, yadda yadda so on and so on.  Blah blah blablah blah blab, yadda yadda so on and so on.  Blah blah blablah blah blab, yadda yadda so on and so on.  Under no circumstances will any government entity be allowed to use force, the courts or police to confiscate property, homes, dwellings or domiciles in Keene, New Hampshire.

It is intended to sound very attractive to the average voter here in Keene and to slash revenue for the Overlords. Obviously it will require the attentions of a lawyer to make it bullet proof. But I particularly like the idea of using the evil one's tactics against them, as in the last line. If they aren't allowed to use the force to confiscate property, them taxes become voluntary.

Thoughts?

we already do this with the elderly living on a fixed income...

[Mark_FTL]

I don't know what you mean by "we already do this for the elderly" but this referendum would exempt from taxation 75% of the median value from everyone's tax bill.

[d_goddard]

It's a cool platform.
Questions the other candidates will immediately ask you:
1) how much revenue loss will this entail? ie, how many dollars per year will the city not have to spend?
2) how specifically do you intend to compensate for the revenue shortfall in the budget?

Here's a tip: if you want to run for public office, start going to the meetings. You need to know who the people are that you would be working with -- knowing who they are and how they react goes a long way in your campaign.

Also, the fact is you don't need to even BE elected to make a big difference!
Nobody shows up at town government meetings... all you need to do is show up and take notes, and keep your mouth shut, for 2-3 meetings. By meeting #4, they'll be asking for your opinion as much as if you'd been elected. A handful of free-staters (dreepa, atr, etc) have been extremely effective with this method.

[Mark_FTL]

Denis

Sorry I didn't make this clear, it is my intent to introduce this as a referendum separate from any run. So those questions would fall upon the city council to answer. I think that is part of the genius of this.

[Mark_FTL]

I have just spoken to the Clerk of the Courts here in Keene regarding this. It appears as though there is no referendum process for something like this in Keene. Which means that it would have to be brought before the City councel to be voted on and therefore has little chance of making it in its current form. Oh well, maybe someone else will be able to use this in a town with referendum rules.

[d_goddard]

It appears as though there is no referendum process for something like this in Keene.

The key is to be an "SB-2" town. "SB-2" towns can issue warrant articles for pretty much anything. I forget if Keene is; if it isn't, the clerk was not lying. It's worth checking on though since clerks HAVE been known to lie.

http://www.nhliberty.org/deadline_for_sb2_town_warrant_articles
http://www.nhliberty.org/sb2_towns_deliberative_session_period

[Russell Kanning]

in The Shire there is still a ... city ... called Keene

[error]

I thought the city in The Shire was called Keane?

[Rosie the Riveter]

I had a dream last night that inspired me to write this.

Thoughts?

I'd like to hear about that dream.....

[Russell Kanning]

more affordable housing for people that already have homes ..... maybe less if the market goes soaring when people hear about the lowest place in the nation for taxes.

[FrankChodorov]

I don't know what you mean by "we already do this for the elderly" but this referendum would exempt from taxation 75% of the median value from everyone's tax bill.

every property taxing authority in the state gives an elderly exemption...

http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060623/REPOSITORY/606230304

excerpt:
Concord has some of the most generous tax exemptions in the state, knocking nearly $190,000 off the property assessments of residents aged 80 and over. The city's abatement for blind residents -$111,328 off their assessment - is New Hampshire's largest.

The cuts are intended to ease the financial load on those residents least able to pay, especially as the tax burden shifts away from large homes on the city's fringes onto smaller downtown homes. But the exemptions take more than $34 million of assessed property out of the city's tax base, forcing other residents to make up the difference. With an increasing number of residents eligible for the elderly exemption and a rising city tax rate, some city officials are wondering if the system is fair.

[d_goddard]

Concord has some of the most generous tax exemptions in the state, knocking nearly $190,000 off the property assessments of residents aged 80 and over.

Holy cow, I *totally* gotta get my Dad to move in with me!

[Russell Kanning]

For property tax purposes ... I think he already has.

[HardyMachia]

I have no problem with a school property tax break based on age because that 80-year-old probably hasn't had kids in the government school system for 40 years, but they should still be paying for the local government taxes.