[Vision2020] Nate's House

[Ted Moffett]

John:

Is there any way via law the City of Moscow can block the continual erosion 
of the tax base from an increasing number of buildings being placed in a 
tax-exempt status?

Ted


>From: "John Danahy" <jdanahy@turbonet.com>
>To: "Vision2020" <vision2020@moscow.com>
>Subject: [Vision2020] Nate's House
>Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 16:52:33 -0700
>
>Nate has provided us with a simple answer to a complex question.  If
>Nate buys one house and lives in it, he joins the rest of us in
>supporting, through property taxes, local governmental entities.  If he
>buys more houses and becomes a landlord, he increases his support of
>these entities because as a landlord he doesn't get the $50,000
>exemption on the houses he doesn't live in.
>
>If, however, Nate buys one house, and lets other like-minded people live
>with him for some nominal rent, creating either a commune or a boarding
>house, and he still claims the $50,000 exemption then he has engaged to
>place, through deception, a greater burden of support on the rest of us.
>If he then claims his house is a church, run as a non-profit, the burden
>on the rest becomes even larger.
>
>The real issue here is not about who buys one building, but who has
>bought many buildings.  If a single entity, either one person or
>commune, engages to purchase an ever increasing economic control of the
>city, then all citizens should be aware, if not concerned.  The city
>governments handling of the Wal-mart affair many years ago was a wake up
>call for all of us.  We have watched the local university become bigger
>at our expense, why shouldn't we be concerned when another tax free
>entity becomes bigger at our expense?
>
>John
>
>jdanahy@turbonet.com
>
>
>

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