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--></style><title>Land Value Tax, Re: TownTalk Digest, Vol 10, Issue
39</title></head><body>
<div>Dear Towntalk,</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>My phone is 301-277-2242. I am willing to talk with anyone or
group that wishes</div>
<div>to gain a better understanding of the issue.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>In terms of all of us who have to pay higher taxes for those who
are speculating on increased land value and who will reap a windfall
on sale of their land that has increased in value through the economic
actions of others...consider that just the vacant land is underpaying
$131,651/year (in 2003 dollars), underused land would add to this
total. Over the past 15 years, had the town adopted the LVT, this is a
sample of yearly savings for good economic citizens.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><font color="#000000">$96,310</font><x-tab>
</x-tab>1991<x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab> </x-tab>If
memory serves, these figures</div>
<div><font
color="#000000">$119,162<x-tab>
</x-tab>1999</font><x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab>amount to about 10% of the Town's</div>
<div><font
color="#000000">$131,651</font><x-tab
>
</x-tab>2003<x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab>budget in any given year.</div>
<div><font
color="#000000">$143,291</font><x-tab
> </x-tab>2006</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Assuming straight line inflation for the 15 years, that is about
$1,800,000 total, or about</div>
<div>$1,130 for each of the 1592 properties in town at that time, of
which 171 are vacant.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>I would rather not pay for land speculator's and run down
property owner's profits...but I am only one vote...you other
homeowners are going to have to push for this change, in mass, or it
will not happen. Keeping the system you have is not going to solve the
problems it has caused...only a change to a rational revenue system is
going to make Riverdale better...your choice.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Sincerely,</div>
<div>Jack</div>
<div
>********************************************************************<span
></span>***********************************</div>
<div>PS: a few bits of data from 2003 assessments</div>
<div><font size="-2"><br></font></div>
<div><font size="-2">The Land Tax is better than The
Improvements and LandTax Combination (current tax method) for Economic
Development.</font></div>
<div><font size="-2">If Riverdale Park taxed only land then the vacant
land would have to pay its Fair Share.</font></div>
<div><font size="-2">20 Vacant Industrial Lots would pay a total of
$76, 904 more in taxes</font></div>
<div><font size="-2">42 Vacant Commercial Lots would pay a total of
$25,391 more in taxes</font></div>
<div><font size="-2">7 Vacant Multifamily Lots would pay a total of
$3,965 more in taxes</font></div>
<div><font size="-2"> 60 Vacant Residential Lots would pay a
total of $25,391 more in taxes</font></div>
<div><font size="-2">This also means that those lots where owners are
making better use of the land, will pay less in taxes than they
currently pay.</font></div>
<div><font size="-2">Information based on Riverale Park 2003
Assessments</font></div>
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