[Tin Knocker]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

I see what you mean with regards to hiring just one person, but don't you think it's unfair to charge people this tax who don't contribute to the issue? Considering your past arguements on paying for public education (why should I pay to educate YOUR kids?), I figured you'd appreciate their attempt to pinpoint the problem rather than having everyone foot the bill.

Thing is if you live there you contribute to it. Things in cities are usually there to serve the residents. If NH had 10,000 people in it those parking lots wouldn't be there and there would be no issue. If you choose to live in a city you choose to fund the things needed to keep it going.
Thats not to say I support a tax or initiative like this, only that everyone there should foot the bill if it needs to be done.

If changes need to be made I think looking into a user based tax system instead of an owner based tax system should be examined. I'm tired of paying high taxes to live here while many people much more burdensome on the municipality get a free ride simply because they rent or live in municipal housing. If theres 100,000 adults in a municipality the budget ought to get cut up into 100,000 pieces with everyone paying their fair share. That would be fair.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

LOL - wow - easily amused today?

It's the medication.

[stewarthaas]

Originally Posted by Tin Knocker

Thing is if you live there you contribute to it. Things in cities are usually there to serve the residents. If NH had 10,000 people in it those parking lots wouldn't be there and there would be no issue. If you choose to live in a city you choose to fund the things needed to keep it going.
Thats not to say I support a tax or initiative like this, only that everyone there should foot the bill if it needs to be done.

If changes need to be made I think looking into a user based tax system instead of an owner based tax system should be examined. I'm tired of paying high taxes to live here while many people much more burdensome on the municipality get a free ride simply because they rent or live in municipal housing. If theres 100,000 adults in a municipality the budget ought to get cut up into 100,000 pieces with everyone paying their fair share. That would be fair.

I agree with that but things should be equal proportionally. It's tough with this tax, because now the money a business has to put out is going to be based on someones decision and judgement. I know you can measure blacktop, but what about the building size, and grass thats existing, etc......

I know it's a civil rights quote, but it applies in financial issues...and it doesn't exactly pertain to this tax but I love it.

"Equal rights for all, special privileges for none"

[Cambium]

Does anyone know where I can find a list of town budgets for snow removel or anything for that matter? Im curious about something.

[Tin Knocker]

Originally Posted by stewarthaas

I agree with that but things should be equal proportionally. It's tough with this tax, because now the money a business has to put out is going to be based on someones decision and judgement. I know you can measure blacktop, but what about the building size, and grass thats existing, etc......

I know it's a civil rights quote, but it applies in financial issues...and it doesn't exactly pertain to this tax but I love it.

"Equal rights for all, special privileges for none"

I think you missunderstood me. I'm not saying entities with parking lots should be taxed separately. Everything should be paid from the general fund which should be funded by a fair & just taxation of everybody. Either as it now stands by taxing all real property owners or better yet by taxing all who use city services. I have a big problem with the way this state taxes personal vehicles. We are not the only ones who use the streets yet we are the only ones paying for it. I Ride my bicycle on the streets tax free & walk on them tax free so why must I pay if I drive a car on them? And if its needed to tax our vehicles then how is it that pedestrians, walkers, skaters, joggers etc have equal rights to the streets? I'm not saying that all users should pay, I'm saying the burden should be placed on residents equally and the only way to do that is everyone pays.

In Norwalk we seperated the sewer from property tax years back so somebody could say they didn't raise taxes.That would be great if they did it fairly & started charging by useage. A person with 6 kids uses more sewer service than me with a family of four. But if that family of 8 lives in an apartment they dont pay it. If they live in municipal housing nobody pays it. How can that be fair?

We will tax a family of 2 tens of thousands just because their home is expensive even though they place very little burden on a municipality, then charge a big family less if they live in a hovel even though they cost the municipality much more. I'm far from wealthy but feel it very unjust to see people who place less burden on us pay more than I do.

I think it much more fair to tax acording to useage than ownership, that would truly be "equal rights for all, special privilages for none".

[Tin Knocker]

Originally Posted by Cambium

Does anyone know where I can find a list of town budgets for snow removel or anything for that matter? Im curious about something.

Its available but I'll be damned if I remember where. I saw a compilation someplace last year. If I remember right it was generally woefully inadequate.

[Cambium]

Originally Posted by Tin Knocker

Its available but I'll be damned if I remember where. I saw a compilation someplace last year. If I remember right it was generally woefully inadequate.

I found this article. And we've only just begun. lol

I remember buying a condo in 2003, small 5 unit association was underwater in the red financially, I took over as treasurer and the first thing I did was raise the snow plow budget. LOL It was always not enough and owners would be assessed hundreds of dollars. 2 years later we were in the black partly because I did the landscaping myself and saved association $1,800/yr.
---------------
Snow removal melts municipal budgets, frustrates city residents - Connecticut Post

In Fairfield, the storm cost more than $200,000, Fairfield Public Works Director Richard White estimated. The town budgeted $75,000 for snow-removal operations. The town will use funds from other public works accounts to make up any difference before asking the Board of Finance for additional funding. Should state officials declare a state of emergency because of the blizzard, there is an opportunity for the town to recoup some of the expenditures from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Ansonia Public Works Superintendent Michael Schryver estimated the blizzard used about a quarter of the funds allocated for snow removal. Schryver said about $17,000 was spent on overtime for those who worked during the storm and another $5,000 to $7,000 was spent on salt and sand. He said the city was in "fine shape."

Trumbull officials said they expect the storm to also eat about 20-25 percent of the budget. Trumbull has set aside about $350,000 for salt and sand and about $165,000 for overtime related to snow removal.
Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti was just content the storm came on a Sunday.

"If it came on Saturday, it would all be double-time-and-a-half," he said.
Milford officials need several more days to compute the cost of the storm, Mayor James L. Richetelli Jr. said Tuesday. Public works crews worked 12-hour shifts, starting at 11 a.m. Sunday and ending at 11 p.m. Monday. Private contractors were also called in to assist, the mayor said.
"We will have a handle on it by the end of the week, but I can tell you now that this storm cost us more because it came on a Sunday, but a lot less than if it came on Christmas Day,'' Richetelli said.

Monroe crews used 100 tons of salt reserve stockpiles leftover from last year to manage the storm. The department has about 800 tons in reserve, enough to get it through about eight storms, said public works officials.
All 19 Monroe crew members worked throughout the storm, as well as five contractors. Each crew member collected 19 hours of overtime, said Monroe Deputy of Public Works Chris Nowacki said.

"You couldn't stop, really, because of all the heavy blowing and drifting

[MrGompers]

After the creation of the new "storm drain authority" and its related employees I doubt this would break even.

I also think it sets a bad precedent and if it's successful other towns\cities will try it themselves.

[HeadedWest]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

I think it's a good idea to charge the people responsible, and not everyone. Thoughts?

It would be an outstanding way to drive business out of the city.

[JayCT]

This is a really dumb proposal that I think will not go far. When a developer proposes a big parking lot, they have to do a study and design the drainage system to accomodate its run off. Most developers will spend a lot to build large underground systems that store water and release into the existing system slowly over time so that it would not overload it. How can the city ask a developer who has spent a lot of money doing this to pay even more? It seems unfair and would be a development killer IMHO. Jay