[Riley.]

Originally Posted by NYLIER

Even when I went on Front Porch Forum and advised the public to look at the salaries and raises the educators were getting, some getting $7T raises on top of their already six figure salaries, didn't stop them from voting for the budget. And they are aware that the students are not getting the education they deserve didn't matter. I have totally given up.

Can't PM you with this photo of my tree: here it is

[NYLIER]

Originally Posted by Riley.

Can't PM you with this photo of my tree: here it is

I have never seen anything like that! I love that armour (I think I spelled that wrong).

[Summerz88]

Originally Posted by Riley.

Can't PM you with this photo of my tree: here it is

Where is the Cat or Squirrel going to hide?…..

[NYLIER]

I just copied this from the Bills and Resolutions on the Vermont Government website. Can someone explain to me what the property dollar equivalent yield and income dollar equivalent yield means?


This act sets the property dollar and income dollar equivalent yields for the purpose of setting homestead property tax rates in fiscal year 2024. The fiscal year 2024 yields set by this act are as follows:
• property dollar equivalent yield: $15,443.00; and
• income dollar equivalent yield: $17,537.00.
This act sets the nonhomestead property tax rate in fiscal year 2024 at $1.391 per $100.00 of equalized education property value.
This act reserves $13,000,000.00 within the Education Fund to offset property tax rate increases in fiscal year 2025, and requires the Commissioner of Taxes, when preparing the December 1st property tax rate letter, to assume that the reserve will be used to offset tax rate increases in fiscal year 2025.

[Riley.]

I found this but, full disclosure, I didn't quite understand it the first read through. I'd have to read it a few times and maybe I would understand it better. As usual, alot of what this legislature does (or the documents they produce) doesn't make sense.


https://ljfo.vermont.gov/assets/Meet...ld_statute.pdf

[NYLIER]

Originally Posted by Riley.

I found this but, full disclosure, I didn't quite understand it the first read through. I'd have to read it a few times and maybe I would understand it better. As usual, alot of what this legislature does (or the documents they produce) doesn't make sense.


https://ljfo.vermont.gov/assets/Meet...ld_statute.pdf

Riley, thank you for taking the time to help me understand this. The reason I am curious about this bill is because the governor is stating that he is against raising property taxes to almost 20%, but this bill was approved by him already. I'm going to look into this because I want to know if the taxpayers are again being lied to. Not that it matters because no one holds them accountable for their lies.

[Dport7674]

Make a list of places you'd choose to live in. Now how many of those places are really that much cheaper than where you're at now?

[Riley.]

^^ Is this a suggestion??

I don't have an answer for you because we never got that far in our exploration of other places. We travelled to several states, drove around, ID'd areas we might be interested in - mostly by physical area, traffic, population, amenities, but decided once we came home that the rural landscape here suits us (or did at the time, pre-COVID) so we didn't go further.
I'd requested a couple of relocation guides as well, and perhaps the most important factors were 1) income taxes and 2) property taxes, because that is the concern here. Many things have changed, though, since COVID, and it seems clear that costs everywhere have risen. It may very well be that it would be less costly to stay here. I don't know.
It's a mixed bag. There are states that have no income tax and there are states that have a graduated income tax, with some states giving 'seniors' a break on property taxes, and there are states that don't tax social security.
I think one really has to pencil this all out (in detail!) down to cost for auto insurance, registering vehicles, homeowner's insurance, and (bigger) cost of housing, cost of utilities, medical care. Then factor in weather, amenities, etc.

[Phorlan]

".....but the tradeoffs to move to somewhere less expensive don't seem worth it."
That's exactly how to look at it and at many other things. There are many reasons my many parts or Mississippi and Alabama are cheap.

[Riley.]

Originally Posted by Phorlan

".....but the tradeoffs to move to somewhere less expensive don't seem worth it."
That's exactly how to look at it and at many other things. There are many reasons my many parts or Mississippi and Alabama are cheap.

Totally agree. I think if one is really going to uproot a long-time residence to go elsewhere, the tradeoffs have to be worth it. (didn't I say that?) LOL.