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Well that can be decided at the hearing.
Are you also charging other property owners in the "residential neighborhood" $350 for a "special exception" application and hearing?
Are they public sidewalks?
What do these folks get for their taxes?
What kind of deficit do local government employees contribute to the finances?
Are you a local government employee?
You obviously have an axe to grind.
No, not an employee but an elected official. Elected by the residents of the Town, of which only 3 of 67 business owners are.
You know as well as I do that sidewalks, even if public, are usually shoveled and swept by the adjacent property owner. In some places, although we don't do it, the property owners are also responsible for repair of the walks.
The rate for a Special Exception hearing is $350 across the board. Homeowners rarely need to have one. The most recent, and it was several years ago, was for a teardown of a SFH to be replaced by a fourplex. It was granted.
The employees don't "contribute" to the Special Events budget, unless you consider having to have them work the event as a deficit. They're typically our lowest paid employees, casual summer labor at $10 or $11 an hour. Typically high school and college kids.
Services are typical for small towns to include police services, streetlights, winter and summer street maintenance, parks, beach and fishing pier.
The last three are maintained at great expense as a tourism draw for the businesses. Which as I mentioned close for events as well as holiday Mondays. Most also open after residents go to work and close before they return. That includes the coffee shop, the owner of which can't figure out why people don't stop for coffee in the morning or afternoon.
The Town collects no sales tax, although we did receive a small amount remitted from the State until then Gov. O'Malley ended it.
Most of the business owners have the business incorporated at the owners home address outside of Town so we get no business income tax. One large scale landlord is based in Baltimore so the city gets his business income tax generated here. Another bases out of another area of the County so Calvert County gets his business income tax.
The property tax rate, which the business owners complain about constantly, are in the middle of the 157 municipalities.
No, not an employee but an elected official. Elected by the residents of the Town, of which only 3 of 67 business owners are.
No axes but I figured you had to be part of the government from your comments. Last I looked elected officials still get a paycheck from local government.
Quote:
Originally Posted by North Beach Person
You know as well as I do that sidewalks, even if public, are usually shoveled and swept by the adjacent property owner. In some places, although we don't do it, the property owners are also responsible for repair of the walks.
Can't say I have that experience. This part of the country rarely gets snow. Businesses do put out salt for the rare ice event. Property owners in the city are not responsible for sidewalk repair here. That's something cities tried to pawn off unsuccessfully years ago and failed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by North Beach Person
The rate for a Special Exception hearing is $350 across the board. Homeowners rarely need to have one. The most recent, and it was several years ago, was for a teardown of a SFH to be replaced by a fourplex. It was granted.
Okay so it is an indiscriminate fee. That fee in view of tearing down and building a new building is not oppressive, however, it might be for some other type of exception.
Quote:
Originally Posted by North Beach Person
The employees don't "contribute" to the Special Events budget, unless you consider having to have them work the event as a deficit. They're typically our lowest paid employees, casual summer labor at $10 or $11 an hour. Typically high school and college kids.
So it is otherwise paid with local government monies likely from collected taxes?
Quote:
Originally Posted by North Beach Person
Services are typical for small towns to include police services, streetlights, winter and summer street maintenance, parks, beach and fishing pier.
The last three are maintained at great expense as a tourism draw for the businesses. Which as I mentioned close for events as well as holiday Mondays. Most also open after residents go to work and close before they return. That includes the coffee shop, the owner of which can't figure out why people don't stop for coffee in the morning or afternoon.
Well why are they "for the businesses"? There is a small city near here that does the same thing although it's because the business owners also run the local government. Seems like no such thing going on where you are.
Quote:
Originally Posted by North Beach Person
The Town collects no sales tax, although we did receive a small amount remitted from the State until then Gov. O'Malley ended it.
Makes absolutely no sense if your parks, beach, and fishing pier are primarily tourist attractions. The little city I mentioned above has an extremely "no growth" attitude -opposing infrastructure, decent grocery stores, etc. They want tourists but not "new residents". The city has no property taxes - almost all revenue is sales tax.
Quote:
Originally Posted by North Beach Person
Most of the business owners have the business incorporated at the owners home address outside of Town so we get no business income tax. One large scale landlord is based in Baltimore so the city gets his business income tax generated here. Another bases out of another area of the County so Calvert County gets his business income tax.
... and I don't understand why you wouldn't get the business income tax generated there irrespective of the owners' home address. I'm guessing it has something to do with whether the taxpayer's principal place of business is located in state or out of state.
Quote:
Originally Posted by North Beach Person
The property tax rate, which the business owners complain about constantly, are in the middle of the 157 municipalities.
Property tax rates here are high - roughly 40¢ per $100 for the county and 50¢ per $100 for the nearest city. School districts, emergency services districts, road, and utility district taxes can easily bring the total property tax burden to 2.5% - 3.1% per year. The school districts alone range from 1.2% to 1.53%. Sales tax rate is 1% - at least in the big city. The little city mentioned above has a sales tax rate of 1.5%. The state imposes a franchise/margin tax and a 6.25% sales tax.
We should indeed have roads in cities, and they should ideally be set aside primarily for city services and commercial business services--not primarily for the convenience of single occupancy cars which then need a space to park. There is simply no space for everyone to drive and park when and where they want to--modern day tragedy of the commons. However, I don't think anyone on here will tell you we should have *zero* roads in cities.
Now don't get me wrong, the situation is vastly different in suburbs and rural areas, you'd better have parking if you want people to stay in business! However, even then, is the half empty massive Walmart parking lot really necessary? Especially if there is another one right next door?
The problem with your point of view is that there still has to be a way to get people into and around cities. Trains sound great and indeed I love riding them into New York City. The problem there is most suburban downtowns don't want to clutter themselves with adequate train station parking. Even uber-leftist NJ governor Corzine opposed building adequate parking at suburban train stations, and NJ has some of the worst congestion in the country, especially on roads feeding into New York City. In my neck of the woods Port Chester has adequate parking for non-residents. White Plains' non-resident parking is shrinking and sharply rising in price. Ditto New Rochelle. For just about everywhere else non-resident parking is non-existent. Even residents have to buy annual permits and in many cases there is a long waiting list.
Then once you get into New York City you have to get around. If your destination is in midtown (a short walk) or if uptown or downtown on the "numbered" lines, i.e. 1, 2 and 3 (West Side) or 4, 5 and 6 (East Side) you're in luck. Anywhere else the service is spotty, confusing or nonexistent. Basically if you're heading to the booming Hudson Yards area you're going to drive. Even UBER and cabs are basically single-occupancy vehicle, plus the driver.
As far as building more mass transit, $80 per hour union rate plus benefits that double those numbers, and the Wicks Law, prohibiting general contractors just about makes this difficult to impossible. I have posted in Build a New Hudson River Tunnel - A Thread that Will Anger Left and Right the problems with such construction and a possible solution. a brief excerpt:
Quote:
Originally Posted by jbgusa
While Tappan Zee litigation continues relating to "the wage difference between carpenters and dock builders" where "(c)arpenters are paid $70.11 per hour, compared with dock builders that make $92.47 per hour" no consideration is given to a "workfare" program where benefits recipients would apprentice and be paid, say, $22 an hour to learn a trade and $40-$45 per our when working at these trades. The cost numbers of $20 billion to build these tunnels and related train station improvements is eye-popping and ultimately unfeasible. No matter how badly needed nothing is going to get built at those figures.
So it's nice to talk about disfavoring single occupancy vehicles but who is willing to provide a solution beyond rhetoric?
No axes but I figured you had to be part of the government from your comments. Last I looked elected officials still get a paycheck from local government.
I don't. While a small amount is authorized, $1000 year, it hasn't been appropriated for thirty years. Some of my colleagues will invoice for expenses, I never have.
Can't say I have that experience. This part of the country rarely gets snow. Businesses do put out salt for the rare ice event. Property owners in the city are not responsible for sidewalk repair here. That's something cities tried to pawn off unsuccessfully years ago and failed.
Okay so it is an indiscriminate fee. That fee in view of tearing down and building a new building is not oppressive, however, it might be for some other type of exception.
A Special Exception is only applied for a use not allowed in the Zoning. The fourplex I referenced was in an area that was zoned SFH. Hence the request for change. There was more to it than I can easily go into here but I'll just say it was supposed to be the camel's nose in the tent.
So it is otherwise paid with local government monies likely from collected taxes?
Events costs are paid for from beach fees levied on non-residents. My point is that we hold events several times a year which draw thousands (example: Polar Bear Swim on New Year's Day. Businesses close. Not all of them but the ones where the owners do the bulk of the complaining. We had some consultants in for something else a few months ago and they couldn't believe that the businesses were closed during our Friday Farmer's Market which will typically draw between 3000 to 4000 people every Friday from May through October. This in a town with a year round population of 2000).
Well why are they "for the businesses"? There is a small city near here that does the same thing although it's because the business owners also run the local government. Seems like no such thing going on where you are.
The State of Maryland adopted promoting tourism as a policy 30 years ago. That's part of the genesis.
Makes absolutely no sense if your parks, beach, and fishing pier are primarily tourist attractions. The little city I mentioned above has an extremely "no growth" attitude -opposing infrastructure, decent grocery stores, etc. They want tourists but not "new residents". The city has no property taxes - almost all revenue is sales tax.
... and I don't understand why you wouldn't get the business income tax generated there irrespective of the owners' home address. I'm guessing it has something to do with whether the taxpayer's principal place of business is located in state or out of state.
State of Maryland tax law vagarie. Business income tax is paid to where business is registered not located.
Property tax rates here are high - roughly 40¢ per $100 for the county and 50¢ per $100 for the nearest city. School districts, emergency services districts, road, and utility district taxes can easily bring the total property tax burden to 2.5% - 3.1% per year. The school districts alone range from 1.2% to 1.53%. Sales tax rate is 1% - at least in the big city. The little city mentioned above has a sales tax rate of 1.5%. The state imposes a franchise/margin tax and a 6.25% sales tax.
The problem with your point of view is that there still has to be a way to get people into and around cities. Trains sound great and indeed I love riding them into New York City. The problem there is most suburban downtowns don't want to clutter themselves with adequate train station parking. Even uber-leftist NJ governor Corzine opposed building adequate parking at suburban train stations, and NJ has some of the worst congestion in the country, especially on roads feeding into New York City. In my neck of the woods Port Chester has adequate parking for non-residents. White Plains' non-resident parking is shrinking and sharply rising in price. Ditto New Rochelle. For just about everywhere else non-resident parking is non-existent. Even residents have to buy annual permits and in many cases there is a long waiting list.
Then once you get into New York City you have to get around. If your destination is in midtown (a short walk) or if uptown or downtown on the "numbered" lines, i.e. 1, 2 and 3 (West Side) or 4, 5 and 6 (East Side) you're in luck. Anywhere else the service is spotty, confusing or nonexistent. Basically if you're heading to the booming Hudson Yards area you're going to drive. Even UBER and cabs are basically single-occupancy vehicle, plus the driver.
As far as building more mass transit, $80 per hour union rate plus benefits that double those numbers, and the Wicks Law, prohibiting general contractors just about makes this difficult to impossible. I have posted in Build a New Hudson River Tunnel - A Thread that Will Anger Left and Right the problems with such construction and a possible solution. a brief excerpt:
So it's nice to talk about disfavoring single occupancy vehicles but who is willing to provide a solution beyond rhetoric?
In agreement, but I should point out, many posters here don't approve of Park and Rides, either. Makes life too convenient. People should walk, or these days take Uber, to the train station. I can remember many years ago going to pick up my (ex) father-in-law at the suburban Chicago train station when he worked downtown. Those places were built in the days when the good suburban man had a stay-at-home suburban wife who could hop in the car to take him and pick him up. (Surprisingly, they allowed women to drive.)
In agreement, but I should point out, many posters here don't approve of Park and Rides, either. Makes life too convenient. People should walk, or these days take Uber, to the train station. I can remember many years ago going to pick up my (ex) father-in-law at the suburban Chicago train station when he worked downtown. Those places were built in the days when the good suburban man had a stay-at-home suburban wife who could hop in the car to take him and pick him up. (Surprisingly, they allowed women to drive.)
they're not convenient to non-drivers [a lot of the convenience judgements here are from the perspective of not driving]. but most commuter rail stations are in areas too spread out for lots to be able to be in walking distance; the most convenient locations for non-drivers are in suburban downtowns and spots with a high concentration of residents.
Then once you get into New York City you have to get around. If your destination is in midtown (a short walk) or if uptown or downtown on the "numbered" lines, i.e. 1, 2 and 3 (West Side) or 4, 5 and 6 (East Side) you're in luck. Anywhere else the service is spotty, confusing or nonexistent. Basically if you're heading to the booming Hudson Yards area you're going to drive. Even UBER and cabs are basically single-occupancy vehicle, plus the driver.
This is NYC-specific, but just about all of Manhattan and nearby boroughs is covered by the subway; there's no reason to limit yourself to the numbered lines. Hudson Yards is easily accessible by the new 7 extension from Grand Central and a longish walk from the 8th avenue A/C/E lines. I'd guess the vast majority of workers and visitors to the Hudson Yards area take transit though maybe a bit less than Midtown.
In agreement, but I should point out, many posters here don't approve of Park and Rides, either. Makes life too convenient. People should walk, or these days take Uber, to the train station. I can remember many years ago going to pick up my (ex) father-in-law at the suburban Chicago train station when he worked downtown. Those places were built in the days when the good suburban man had a stay-at-home suburban wife who could hop in the car to take him and pick him up. (Surprisingly, they allowed women to drive.)
That was/is called "kiss and drop." The people who don't approve of Park and Rides are NIMBY types, or else leftists. Or more likely NIMBYs using leftist arguments. My feeling is that they should survey to see what demand would be and put in adequate parking at train stations and subway stops near the city edge.
Ironically "kiss and drop" stopped working not so much because women entered the work force as it forced husbands (and the children) to either have a cold dinner or to wait for dinner. My father used to arrive in Mamaroneck around 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. If my mother, one of those housewives, was cooking dinner, she either needed to start when he was home or have everything done before 6:15 p.m. or so. Also, in the morning, my bus for school arrived around 7:45 a.m. and I was still to young to get out by myself. That was also the time that his train left for NYC. So in 1965 we bought a used Volkswagen (we used to call it the 'put-put' for the noise made by its tailpipe). He would up driving to another rail line, the Harlem Line, and another rail station, Hartsdale, both because it was a more reliable line than the then-decrepit New Haven line and it had more adequate parking. Hartsdale was about a 6 mile drive, compared to 2 miles for Mamaroneck.
Fast forward to today. The one dollar to park has become about $12, and only a limited number of spaces go to non-residents of the Town of Greenburgh.
The problem with your point of view is that there still has to be a way to get people into and around cities. Trains sound great and indeed I love riding them into New York City. The problem there is most suburban downtowns don't want to clutter themselves with adequate train station parking. Even uber-leftist NJ governor Corzine opposed building adequate parking at suburban train stations, and NJ has some of the worst congestion in the country, especially on roads feeding into New York City. In my neck of the woods Port Chester has adequate parking for non-residents. White Plains' non-resident parking is shrinking and sharply rising in price. Ditto New Rochelle. For just about everywhere else non-resident parking is non-existent. Even residents have to buy annual permits and in many cases there is a long waiting list.
Then once you get into New York City you have to get around. If your destination is in midtown (a short walk) or if uptown or downtown on the "numbered" lines, i.e. 1, 2 and 3 (West Side) or 4, 5 and 6 (East Side) you're in luck. Anywhere else the service is spotty, confusing or nonexistent. Basically if you're heading to the booming Hudson Yards area you're going to drive. Even UBER and cabs are basically single-occupancy vehicle, plus the driver.
As far as building more mass transit, $80 per hour union rate plus benefits that double those numbers, and the Wicks Law, prohibiting general contractors just about makes this difficult to impossible. I have posted in Build a New Hudson River Tunnel - A Thread that Will Anger Left and Right the problems with such construction and a possible solution. a brief excerpt:
So it's nice to talk about disfavoring single occupancy vehicles but who is willing to provide a solution beyond rhetoric?
Seven major European cities are outright BANNING cars from their city centers. Obviously deliveries are still being made and I haven't see any news articles about people dying because the ambulance couldn't get to them. People are getting to outlying train stations somehow (busses help a lot, driverless Uber supposedly in the near future). So I think we can do well by adopting some of their practices which are already working, "disfavoring" SOVs, and giving more priority to busses, city service vehicles, business service vehicles, and yes, Uber and eventually self-driving Uber when needed for the "last mile" too. One way is to have congestion tolling. Not politically viable in the US, but it does in fact work well around the world. Charge tolls according to supply and demand that are appropriate to keep roads less congested for deliveries, city and emergency services to be able to get around. Another possibility which is already being done but needs to be done A LOT more is bus lanes, BAT (business access and transit) lanes, replacing street parking with loading zones and enforcing them. Of course, you do need transit for these to work most effectively! My point is we don't need to *prioritize* SOVs in order to accommodate them. You'd be surprised how many SOV trips are in fact flexible and can be done during times of less congestion--I've seen estimates of 40% of cars on the road during rush hour! The reality here in the US is, unlike those European cities, we really do have to accommodate SOVs at least in the short term, but in a congested city, they should not get equal priority. It can't just be a free-for-all or everybody is delayed--including critical city and emergency services! It is the modern day tragedy of the commons.
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